A modern swordsman in Alagaësia
by Daycember
Summary: A.U. Eragon leaves Carvahall with Brom and a strange man who want the death of the Ra'zac more than everything. Who is he and what is his purpose here? How this new character will influence things and especially the fate of Alagaësia? What kind of secrets does he keep and why does he hate the Ra'zac so much? SaphiraxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Two men were talking in front of a few trees. One of them was a young man no older than fifteen, with brown hair and brown eyes too. The other person was an adult, in his sixties with small black eyes. He was smaller than the adolescent, he was bald, had a thick beard and an eagle-shaped nose. The elder owned a sword which was hanging at his belt and had pieces of leather in his hand.

The streets of the village they were in were completely empty. The only trace of life was coming from the candles or fireplaces of the houses. The ground was covered in pure white snow, a color which was contrasting with the dark clouds of the sky.

The two people were arguing so much that they didn't noticed a third man observing them and eavesdropping on their conversation. He was slightly older than the adolescent, maybe by three or four years. His icy blue eyes were observing the village without much interest while his ears were concentrated on the discussion. A slight cold breeze gently slapped his cheek and moved his a part of his grey hair in the direction of the wind. Contrary the other two men, he was wearing what we could call "modern" clothes. He had a dark brown leather vest, a black t-shirt, black shoes and navy blue jeans.

Two swords were hanging in his back, in a way to be held by someone ambidextrous. There was another weapon tied against his torso, this one was black and long (a good eighty-five centimeters) with inscriptions on it: M4A1. To put it simply, it was an improved version of a bow: faster, deadlier and more precise. On his right shoulder blade, the young adult had an object slightly shorter than the M4A1. This time, its color was light brown and had something written on the barrel: Mossberg 500 ATP. And the last, but not the least, there was a silver weapon hanging at his right hip. It wasn't as big as the other two but was very powerful too.

"I was going to track down the Ra'zac to kill them."

The sentence arrived to the ears of the stalker who left his position when he heard the word 'Ra'zac'. He smiled inwardly, thanking his instinct who was right by telling him to follow the boy in this part of the town. Maybe those two people had some information about them and could lead him to these monsters. He walked without a sound to the duo before announcing his presence by clearing his throat.

"Sorry to bother you," he began. "But I heard your little talk and I thought that maybe you could help me."

The adult and the young man turned their head in his direction and looked at him with suspicion.

"And in what way could we do this?"

"You see…I overheard your conversation. I'm also tracking the Ra'zac and maybe, if you want to, we could work together. The deal is simple: we travel together and I share everything I have with you. That means my food, water and anything of value I could sell to make money."

"These people are very dangerous and have no mercy. They could kill you in a few seconds, there's not a lot of people who can stand up against them."

"I already know that. To tell you the truth, I'm after them since a few years, five to be precise. They killed someone I appreciated a lot and who was very close to me. I think that if the three of us work in team, we can find them quickly and neutralize them… definitively. I don't think there's a better solution than forming a group. When it will be over, I'll leave you. Is it good enough for you?"

The boy looked at the old man and they shared a look, one which lasted a few seconds. Each one was searching for the correct answer in the eyes of the other.

"What do you think? Is the risk worth it? It's your quest after all." asked the bald man.

The adolescent with brown hair had a look of doubt for a few seconds before putting a neutral face and nodding.

"I don't think he's lying…so why not. But we have to tell him about _her_."

"Fine."

Then, the storyteller looked again at the newcomer, a sour look on his face.

"Are you sure you want this? This kind of decision can change your life forever and there's no way back."

The man with icy-blue eyes grinned.

"I knew this since the first day I decided to chase them. I sacrificed too much to not continue my quest. They will pay. Now that this is out of our way, we can introduce ourselves. My name is Alex."

The adolescent shook his hand.

"What a strange name. I'm Eragon, nice to meet you, and the person to my left is Brom, storyteller of Carvahall and an old friend of mine."

"All the pleasure is mine."

Alex looked at the village and saw people walking to one house to another. The duo did the same.

"I think they're searching for me." commented the farmer.

The old man raised an eyebrow.

"Probably. Shall we?"

Eragon hesitated. "I'd like to give a message to Roran. I'm ashamed to left without any explication."

"Don't worry, I left a message to Gertrude this morning explaining a few things, and told him to be on his guard for certain dangers. Will that do?"

The young man nodded. Their journey could finally begin.

The little group carefully left the village, taking care to not being seen by anyone. At the moment they were out of Carvahall, they quickened their pace despite Eragon's injuries. Finally, they arrived at the farm. Well? More like what was left of it. The barn was no more, only a rectangle of soot remained.

They walked to the former door leading to the inside of the house and stopped there. They contemplated the damage caused by the two monsters. They only heard the loud beating of wings at the last second. Brom turned around and flinched. Seeing this, Alex turned his head in the direction the storyteller was looking and was face to face with a huge sapphire creature with four legs, one long tail and two wings. Instinctively, he drew his swords from his back.

The bald man completely ignored the swordsman's comportment and walked to the animal with a look both solemn and joyous.

"So, it starts again…", said the storyteller. "But how and where can this story end? My sight is veiled. I cannot know if its farce or tragedy, as the two ingredients are already there ... Anyway, no matter: my position is the same, and I ..."

His words stopped there. The creature then looked at the human with the two swords in his hands. His eyes were full of fear and amazement.

_«You really are weird creatures ...__»_

This sentence echoed inside Alex's head for a few seconds before fading away. It was, without a single doubt, a female voice, thanks to the intonation.

"She speaks!" exclaimed the adolescent with grey hair.

_«You thought I was dumb? Dragons are as smart, if not more, than humans. »_

The young man immediately lowered his swords and looked at the dragoness with a new interest. The world could have collapsed around them that he would not have realized it.

"Who knew that one day…I would have the occasion to meet a dragon? I'm honored to meet you, miss…"

_«Saphira. »_

"It's not that I want to interrupt your little talk," said Brom. "But we need to take everything that could be useful and leave."

The two adolescents nodded and began to search. After a few minutes, they came back with only a bow, a few arrows and some food. Without a word, Eragon walked toward the forest. Following him, they all arrived in a small clearing, but large enough for all of them. Saphira flew to meet them there, less she leaves anymore tracks than she already had.

"I discovered this place a few years ago, no one else except me know its location."

The farmer prepared a small fire, filled a pan with snow and finally put pieces of meat in it. During this time and the meal, none of the men talked, preferring to eat in silence. Then, Eragon and Brom began to talk while Alex was deeply fixing the flames, mesmerized by their beauty and his thoughts.

_«It's seems that my situation is not that bad. A storyteller, a farmer and a dragoness… when my superiors will learn this, I don't want to imagine the look on their faces. Eragon is a good boy and a little naïve but I'm wary of the old man. I think he know more about all of this than what he said until now, let's see if I can extract more information from him. But not now. »_

Suddenly, a faint sound of steel against steel reached his ears and he raised his head while grapping his M4A1. Eragon was holding a blade. A handle of silver wire topped with a gold pommel extended from a blood red sheath. A ruby the size of a small rested in the pommel. Upon drawing the sword, Eragon saw that the metal of the blade was also red. The black symbol etched onto the sheath was also present on the blade itself.

"It once belonged to a powerful Rider. The way I obtained it is not important. Consider it yours."

The offer caught Eragon off guard. "It's a princely gift, thank you."

"And you, by seeing the twin blades you have on your back, I suppose you're familiar with the swordplay. Right?"

The question made Alex smile.

"Indeed. I had the chance to learn a lot of things during those five years. I was under the tutoring of a few masters who shared everything they knew with me. I'm not someone with a boastful pride so I'm going to say that I can defend myself if it's necessary and I know there's someone who is far better than me with a sword."

"Mmmmh, I'd like to see what you're capable of."

"Maybe another night."

A long silence followed before Eragon spoke.

"Do you have any idea who the Ra'zac are?"

And so, Brom explained to the three of them. The Ra'zac, as they were called, were some of the foulest creature to walk the land. Despite their appearance, they were not human. Precious little was known about them, only that they were never seen before Galbatorix came to power. Under their hoods were black eyes the size of fist and beaks where a mouth would be, making how they produced speech a mystery. Their only real weakness is their aversion to sunlight.

"Who are you?" he spat. "How come a mere village storyteller just happen to have a Rider's sword? How do you know so much about dragons, and the Ra'zac?"

Brom smiled gently. "The only thing you need to know is that I'm the person who is here to protect you. Do not scorn those words; they are the truest I have ever spoken. But I'm not going to answer your questions. You don't need to hear my story, nor you have earned this right. True, I have knowledge that Brom the storyteller wouldn't, but I'm more than he. You'll have to learn to live with that fact and the fact I don't hand out descriptions of my life to anyone who asks!"

Eragon glared at him.

"I'm going to sleep." Brom didn't seem surprised but there was sorrow in his eyes. He rolled out his bedroll next to the fire as Eragon went and lay against Saphira's stomach.

An icy silence fell over the camp.

As for him, Alex was a few meters away from the others and the fire. He took his weapons off him and directly lay on the ground, using his bag as a pillow.

Tomorrow could be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Naerys Targayen - Thank you for your review. I indeed need to work more on my grammar mistakes. I appreciate English a lot and I'd love to improve my writing skill in this language. Don't worry, I'll try my best to do better in the following chapters ^^**

When Alex opened his eyes the next day, he was welcomed with a magnificent sight. The sky was colored in blue with some light pink clouds. The sun was slowly appearing at the horizon. His face was bathed in the warm rays of the sun and this sole action was enough to put a smile on his lips. A quick look at his watch told the young man it wasn't more than eight. He quickly yawned and shook his head. Observing what was remaining of the fire, the boy with grey hair stood up, took the wood still intact from last night and put it equally where the ashes of the previous fire were. He used a piece of rag and his Zippo to make another one.

Alex then sat on the ground, crossed his legs, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He emptied his mind while slowing his breathing and his heart rate. Gradually, he stopped to think and after a few moments, he reached a state of inner peace, away from the physical and the outside world. It was a method he learned from his first teacher to relax when he had to evacuate negative emotions or stress but now, he only used it to pass time.

After what seemed a couple of minutes, he heard one of the three person with him waking up and decided to open his eyes.

"Good morning." said Brom in a weak but neutral tone.

"Morning to you too. Sleep well?"

"I've known better."

The young man nodded in understanding.

"Since when are you awake?"

"I don't know... maybe an hour, more or less. The fire was dying so I revived it with what was left of the wood from last night."

There was a long and heavy silence between the two people. Brom decided to make breakfast, the water boiling quietly over a small fire. A few minutes after, Eragon woke up from his slumber. He greeted them with a small grunt and ate the food prepared by the old man. Then, the three of them began to work on a saddle for Saphira. Alex helped them in this task by cutting the strips while Brom was taking the dragoness' measurements. Finally, the storyteller adjusted the saddle while the two boys started organizing and stowing supplies for the journey ahead. Brom stepped back to admire his work. It wasn't perfect but good enough to continue fitting Saphira during her months of growth ahead.

"You did a good job." admitted Eragon, grudgingly.

"One tries his best. The leather is sturdy, it should last for some time."

The dinner was quickly made with few ingredients but the taste wasn't too bad. Brom broke the silence by asking a question to the farmer:

"So, will we leave tomorrow?"

"I don't see any reason to stay."

"True." Brom sighed before looking at the man with grey hair. "What do you think about this?"

"Eragon's right. The more we stay around here, the less chances we have of finding any clue about their destination."

"In that case, we need horses. There may be some in Therinsford."

Eragon growled. "Alright but you'll have to buy them, I'm not stealing again. It's wrong."

"Depend on your point of view." Brom countered.

"I'm not fond of stealing too but if I had to do it to ensure my survival or to help me reach my goal, I would do it without any regret." added Alex.

The elder and the farmer continued to talk for a few more moments before the former decided it was getting late.

The next day dawned with an overcast and sharp wind. The forest was completely silent. After a quick breakfast, they packed up camp and set out along the road leading away from Carvahall. Brom and Alex had their blades on them but Eragon strapped his on Saphira's saddle, only taking his bow with him.

As they walked, the blue dragoness flew west toward the mountains and out of sight. The travelers passed by the farm to go south, in direction of Therinsford. They trudged on with Brom leading them, trying to follow the trail the Ra'zac had left, which was easier said than done. Eragon and Alex were not worried about it. The latter wasn't in hurry to confront them a third time. The second encounted he had with them, which happened not long ago, was tense and could have been worse. Fortunately, Alex had stole _something_ from them, something that helped him to follow them to Carvahall. Now, he just have to play mouse and cat and strike when they expected it the least.

While the adolescent and the storyteller were talking about the eating habits of dragons or what to do if engaging one in battle, the newcomer was admiring the scenery around him. There were different kinds of trees, conifer to elm and he saw a few oaks too. At the same time, he was also listening to the conversation. The white coat of snow was everywhere, covering rocks, ground or trees. The ambient temperature wasn't warm but not very cold too. They continued to walk until the sun disappeared at horizon.

The trio proceed to make camp and cook something as Saphira joined them from above. She settled next to Eragon, sharing her heat with him. A few minutes passed by, without a single word, the only sound was the crackling fire. On the other side of the fire, Brom sat whittling two long sticks. Suddenly, one was thrown at the young Rider. He caught it by reflex.

"Defend yourself!" barked the storyteller as he stood up.

Brom and Eragon faced each other for a moment, then Brom struck. Eragon tried to block but he was too slow. A yell escaped his lips when Brom's sword hit his ribs. They continued like this until Eragon was hit on the temple. Then, the old man showed him the right posture to have and a few tips before ending the lesson.

"Yay! My turn!" yelled Alex, visibly happy to use his muscles.

Brom smiled seeing the boy's enthusiasm. He gave him the sword Eragon had a few moment before. The man with icy blue eyes took it with his left hand and did a few handreels with it before positioning himself the way his masters taught him. His right leg in front, the other a few centimeters behind, both hands on the handle of the object, near the left side of his face and handling the fake sword horizontally towards its target.

Brom ignored the strange position and launched an attack, trying to strike his right side but was stopped. Ignoring what just happened, he whipped his stick toward Alex's stomach but finally twisted and tried to touch his neck. The swordsman deflected the enemy's blade to the left by performing a large circle with his own weapon. This time, he came at Brom, on the offensive and attacking at an incredible speed. His blows were only blurs for Eragon and Saphira who watched the fight with amazement. The storyteller could only defend himself under the furious assault of his partner. Alex finished the lesson by twisting his opponent's hand in a strange way, forcing him to drop his weapon to the ground. The young man put his stick under Brom's chin.

"I've won." He said, in a confident tone and without any trace of fatigue on his face.

The Rider and his dragoness were looking at the two men in awe, well more precisely at Alex. His blows were powerful and very accurate. The adolescent with grey hair hadn't lied when he said he had some knowledge in swordplay. It was as if he knew the perfect amount of force to put in each of his hits, as if he wanted to optimize them and be more effective.

"Apparently. Few people have been able to beat me that way. You're pretty impressive for someone so young, I didn't thought I was going to confront such a large resistance during this fight. You really learned that much in five years?"

"Yes. I wanted to master as much techniques as possible to stand a chance against the Ra'zac."

"Very well. The only thing I can say to you is to keep the level you have. You don't need my advices in this domain. We should go to sleep, it's getting late."

The next day, Alex woke up not long after Brom but before Eragon and Saphira. He sat at the elder's side and inhaled some air.

"Was it really necessary to be that harsh with him last night?"

The storyteller let out a sigh.

"I know I was a little rough but I had to. If I had to lower myself at his level, he'd never do any progress. It would be better if he hated me for a decade rather than have him injured or killed because he was too confident in his capacities."

While saying this, the expression in his eyes changed, there was now sorrow in them. It was present long enough to let the man with blue eyes notice it but he didn't say a word. It wasn't his business after all. The two of them stayed like this, sitting side by side, waiting for the last member of their little group to wake up. He greeted them with a small snarl.

Once they had finished and repacked their campsite, they traveled swiftly so as to reach Therinsford by noon. After about a league, the road began to widen and smoke could be seen in the distance. "You should tell Saphira to fly ahead and wait for us on the other side of the town." Brom said. "She has to be careful here. She could be spotted."

"Why don't you tell her yourself?"

"It's considered ill manners to interfere with one's dragon."

"You didn't seem to have any problem with it in Carvahall."

The old man's lips twitched in a smile. "I did what I had to do at the time."

They continued to walk in direction of their next destination, the village was larger than Carvahall but looked like it was planned out by a drunken man. The houses aligned in no particular order.

"What a mess." said Eragon.

"It's ugly." nodded Brom. "I've seen far better than this."

A river with a bridge was separating them from Therinsford. At the moment they were about to set foot on it, a greasy man with broken teeth emerged from the bushes.

"You c'n stop right there. This is my bridge. You gotta pay t'get over."

Alex laughed at the top of his lungs for three seconds before immediately taking a neutral face again.

"So, what are we going to do? I shoot him or not? Because his face is a more than valid reason to put him six feet under the ground."

Brom looked at him somberly before pulling out a pouch of coins.

"How much?"

"Five crowns," he said, his lips in a broad smile.

The swordsman stayed silent while Eragon's temper flared at the unruly price. A simple look from the bald man silenced him. He then handed the coins to the man wordlessly. Stepping forward, Brom suddenly stumbled and grabbed the man's arm for support. When they were out of earshot, Eragon protested: "Why didn't you haggle? He skinned you alive! He probably doesn't even own the bridge, we could have pushed right past him."

Brom opened his hand to show him a pile of coins glistening in the light. He gave a wink to the farmer and put his theft in his own pouch.

"You sneaky dog!" commented the swordsman, with a sincere smile on his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3****  
**

Alex was silently observing Therinsford and its inhabitants while Brom and Eragon were negotiating with the owner of the local stable. The villagers were looking at him suspiciously and curiously… certainly due to his cloths and his equipment. But the young man didn't care and wasn't here to walk around unnoticed. A sigh escaped his mouth and he tapped his foot a few times against the ground as a sign of impatience as he let his gaze drift over the village and its surroundings. After a few minutes, the duo came out with two horses. One a white stallion and the other a bay horse. Brom handed the reins of the stallions to Eragon.

"Here, wait for me by the edge of Therinsford. I won't be long."

Before Eragon and Alex could have objected, the storyteller was already gone. The two young men crossed Therinsford and stationed themselves along the road. In the distance to the south, stood Mount Utgard. His appearance made Eragon shudder. Brom reappeared and the trio took the road, moving silently until Therinsford was far enough.

"The Ra'zac were here. They stopped at the village to buy horses. A man told me they had left like demons fleeing the holy man."

The group continued forward for a while until the old man broke the silence.

"Put your things in the saddlebags and then, attach your bag on your horse." he ordered to Eragon.

"And how am I supposed to follow you? If I have to walk by your side, it poses no concern to me but I'd like to know."

Brom turned to Alex.

"You'll ride with Eragon. Buying a third horse would have cost too much and we would have run out of money to continue this quest."

At these words, the boy's face changed color and he swallowed. If there was one thing he hated more than everything, it was to ride a horse. His former experience in this domain had left painful memories, particularly for his hindquarters. Dropping a heavy sigh, he resigned.

"OK. But it's out of question to do anything more than trotting."

A thin smile stretched on the face of the storyteller.

"Given the state of Eragon's legs, it will take a while before galloping but I can't promise anything."

"I see. So, let's go."

The landscape began to change. The traces of civilization gave way to great wilderness. Soon the road tightened, as well as at the foot of Utgard, it was only a meager way.

Brom pointed out the crumbling tower atop the peak and told the two youths the story of how the evil King defeated the last of the Riders there. The hours passed by as they continued around Utgard. The young Rider let out a cry of surprise and the swordsman sighed. On either side were mountains, but before them stretched a great plain that extended to the horizon and met the sky. It was now clear why they needed horses. Far above, they could see the outline of Saphira flying overhead, far away enough to be taken for a big bird.

"We will make the descent tomorrow." said Brom. "It will take most of the day."

They left the trail and dismounted by the Anora to make camp. At the moment they settled down to make dinner, Saphira landed and curled up next to her Rider. They ate in peace until the moment when Brom jumped on his feet and throw a stick at Eragon who caught it. When they finished their fight, he dropped his makeshift sword, completely disgusted and sat down to nurse his injuries.

A pale sunrise greeted the four members of the group as the night faded into morning. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Eragon wasn't surprised to see Brom and the other adolescent awake. The horses were already good for another day of travel.

Casting a dark glance at Brom, Eragon stated coldly."If you keep this up, you're going to batter me into pieces."

"I've enough faith in you to know you can handle it."

The farmer then turned his head toward Alex.

"And you're going to let him continue like this without saying anything?"

"I endured the same kind of training as the one you're having right now and you've seen yourself the strength and speed it gave me. You can do it, it's just a matter of willpower. The only advice I can share with you is to never give up. If you don't want to continue, all your efforts will be useless and there'll be no one to avenge your uncle's death. Is it really what you want?"

"No, of course not!"

"In that case, give everything you have each time you train. You'll see your progress soon enough."

Then, Saphira took off, leaving the three humans and two horses to begin their descent. The ground was treacherous and rocky, making the task even more challenging. By the time they reached the bottom, they were all hot and slightly irritable, despite the brisk wind and cold. Brom examined the trail for a trace of the Ra'zac. Eventually, he straightened and announced. "It seems they've headed east toward Yazuac."

When they were ready, they set out across the plains. The wind had picked up since dawn and kept gaining in intensity as the hours passed by. The trio was forced to camp in the open and to top it all, they could not light the fire.

Angry to not be able to create a fire, Eragon tossed the tinderbox to the storyteller.

"Brisingr!" he swore, striking the flint again. Flames jumped to life and a pleased expression crossed their faces.

They quickly ate and the sparring was kept short today due to fatigue but it appeared that the farmer was starting to get better. At the beginning of the third day, the wind had died down but the temperature was still a little cold.

"I don't like this. It feels like there's some electricity in the air." Commented the swordsman.

Eragon looked at him.

"How can you know that?"

He pointed the dark thunderclouds in from of them.

"Look how dense they are. There's only one thing they want to do: it's to give us a very good and cold shower or release some lightning or both of them. I bet fifty crown it's the latter."

As they were walking until the storm was on them, Alex raised his head while thinking of something and paled.

_«With what we're going to endure, it would be better if Saphira continue on the ground with us»_

Fortunately, Eragon was thinking the same thing because he stood up from the saddle and yelled:

"**Saphira! Land now!**"

The dragoness was obliged to fly back toward Utgard to escape the powerful wind. Acting quickly, Alex jumped from the saddle and ordered the adolescent to go after his dragon. After a few but tense minutes, the duo joined the other two travelers. The young man with grey hair felt something on his nose and looked at the sky to see the first raindrops falling from the sky. As the severe elements finally died down, they left their place to a beautiful blue sky. At the end of the day, the group settled for the night.

As the day wore on, Yazuac became visible. Soon, houses were distinguishable from the background and the village fully presented itself to the trio. They saw smoke above the houses but no one in the streets.

Brom pulled out a sword and Eragon strung his bow. They decided to take a side entrance instead of the front one. The houses were dark, many with broken windows and doors that hung half-open. Alex decided to walk at Cadoc's side, on the lookout for everything out of ordinary. When they arrived into the center of town, a massacre was waiting for them. The ground was imbued with a dark red color, indelible. Corpses and even parts of bodies were scattered everywhere; men, women and children alike. A wicked spear rose out of the pile, skewering the white body of a baby. A foul odor, giving a vicious desire to throw up, assaulted the nostrils of the group. Brom eyes' flicked over the spear. "This is of Urgal make – the Ra'zac didn't do this. That's not good, they only gather in such large number when…" At this moment, something caught his attention and he ran back to Snowfire before jumping on his saddle.

"Run! There are still Urgals here!"

Eragon saw a blur of movement to his right before he received a beautiful punch which unhorsed him. Cadoc continued to run, revealing five Urgals with one of them who was rushing to the storyteller. Alex made a few steps back, waiting for Eragon to stand up. The monsters were tall, robust and wide as a wardrobe.

"Run Eragon! Run and don't look back, I'm going to take care of them." said Alex, unsheathing his left sword.

The Rider nodded and began to run away. One of the Urgals tried to follow him but was interrupted in his course by a combat knife which hit his head, killing him on the spot. The young man smiled and took his fighting position, the same one as the other night, when he fought with the old man.

_«Let's see if this broadsword is as powerful as the smith said it would be. It's made of titanium, after all»_

The creatures ran to him. Alex lightly flexed his legs to dodge the blow from the first Urgal, he hit the kneecap of the second one and cut in two the shield of the third. Then, he gave him a head butt. His victim fell to the ground with his nose broken.

"Shit man, I knew I shouldn't have done that! That hurt!"

Hearing the whistle of the wind in his back, Alex quickly rolled to the side to escape what could have been a fatal blow. Seeing that the one with the damaged kneecap was about to attack again, he cut off his head. He then killed the first Urgal by piercing his heart. A sigh escaped his mouth and a single drop of sweat ran down his right cheek. The scraping sound of leather against the ground came up to his ears and he turned around, bringing him face-to-face with the last Urgal, the one with the broken nose, who had some difficulties to concentrate due to the pain in his broken bone. The swordsman shook his head and rolled his eyes. He drew out the weapon tied to his right tight. The moment after, a powerful detonation echoed in the surrounding area and a body fell to the ground with a hole with a diameter of three centimeter in the skull.

Looking in Brom's direction, he saw that the latter was on his horse, wounded and unconscious, waiting for the last Urgal to give him the killing blow. Instinctively, he raised his arm and a second detonation was heard while light grey smoke escaped from the tip of his weapon. Quickly, Alex approached the storyteller and dismounted him from Snowfire. Blood was streaming down his right arm. The young man put his bag on the ground and opened it to search something very useful in this kind of situation. He took a small red box out of the bag and opened it. With a bandage roll and some disinfectant, he expertly nursed the injury.

A cry of rage filled his head. He raised his eyes to the sky and saw a big blue lizard landing a little away. The dragoness approached quickly, in the company of the farmer who, fortunately, didn't have any wound but had a tired look on his face.

"Is everything alright?" asked Alex, a little worried.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a few scratches, thank to that Urgal."

The man with blue eyes raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"There was another one who was hidden while the others assaulted us. He was surely waiting for us to be separated to go into action. I took care of him myself. And you?"

"They didn't gave me any major problem. You just need to have some reflexes and be a little fast. Brom has a beautiful cut on his arm but I've took care of it. We should go before more of them come."

The two boys put the storyteller on Saphira's back. Then, they took the horses with them and left the village. Alex was on Snowfire's back while Eragon was guiding Cadoc. They walked along the Ninor until Saphira mentally called her Rider and sent him the image of a little meadow surrounded by trees and along the river.

When they arrived, a small fire was already burning. Brom was in front of it, his right arm against his torso. The duo sat down at Brom's side.

"Saphira told me you treated my wound. Your bandage is solid and well made."

Alex nodded his head as a thanks before adding:

"It's nothing. I've cleaned your cut so it's not going to be infected but I'll remove the bandage tomorrow morning to see if it heals well and if I need to put another one. You're not suffering too much, are you?"

A small rictus of pain flashed on Brom's face.

"Unfortunately, yes."

The young man didn't answer and opened his bag. He fumbled for a moment before exiting a small yellow box that he opened. A tablet of a diameter of a centimeter fell on the leather glove that protected his right hand and he handed it to the old man.

"Take it with some water but don't chew it because it won't take effect if you do it."

"What is it?"

"It's a painkiller. You can put it in your mouth safely, there's no poison in it."

The storyteller took the object between two fingers, analyzing it for a second before opening his mouth and drop it on his tongue. Then, he took a few gulps of water from his bottle.

"Now, you just have to wait a few minutes and the pain will slowly fade away. It'll be present tomorrow but not as intense as now. I think we should make dinner, you two looks like you haven't ate anything since a day or two."

"You're right, thank you for your help."

Alex winked and smiled. "Think nothing of it."

Once their bellies full, Brom lit up his pipe and the man with icy blue eyes comfortably lay on the ground, his head on his bag and looking at the sky. He listened to the conversation between the other two people, interested by what happened to the farmer. When the latter explained how he killed the last Urgal, it intrigued Alex: Magic. He did everything to not laugh and keep a serious attitude but it wasn't easy. Dragons were real, sword with colored steel too so…why not?

It was with those thoughts the swordsman quickly fell asleep, also a little tired by the events of the last few days.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Brom was able to ride again on Snowfire's back and the three companions left their temporary place. Fortunately, and just like Alex said, the pain in the elder's arm wasn't as uncomfortable as the night before. But he wasn't ready to fight again. The storyteller was a little too weak for those kind of things yet so the man with grey hair would be training Eragon for the next few days. And speaking of Alex, he was currently keeping a part of his promise by sharing all the food he had so they wouldn't be short of supplies.

But, they still had to stop at Daret to fill their bags. It wasn't an option. During the time they had before arriving at the next town, Brom decided to educate the farmer about magic. When the swordsman watched the brown-haired adolescent hovering a pebble above his hand, he raised an eyebrow as if to say 'seriously?' and shrugged.

For the following days, a schedule was established to supervise Eragon's teaching. For most of the day, he learned new words in Ancient Language and continued to train with his pebble. And when the sun left, it was Alex's turn to share his knowledge by fighting with him. Sometime, Brom joined and they were in a 'two-against-one' battle. The swordsman was even less gentle than the old man. He wanted Eragon to give everything he had in each of their sessions. Even the boy with brown hair admitted he had made some progress since the first night Brom forced him to fight with a simple stick.

Finally, they reached Daret. The village was small and looked like it was abandoned. The trio walked into town, their senses on the edge. Before they could make another step, two wagons rolled into the street, blocking their path, and found themselves ambushed by no less than sixty archers with bows drawn tight.

"Shit!" cursed Alex who took his black weapon in his hands and pointed it in front of him, aiming at different persons to find a weakness in their defenses. He only needed to find a weakness in their defenses and he could create a way out of here. Unfortunately, he didn't found one.

"Brom…they're too many. I think the only solution we have is the pacific one."

"I thought so too."

The leader of the pack stepped out in front of them, keeping his own bow steady at the three travelers. "Why are you here?"

"We only want to purchase supplies, nothing more."

"You are armed pretty heavily."

"True. These are dangerous times."

"Indeed they are."

A long and tense silence followed before the man spoke again. "Would you agree to stay put while one of my men brings you what you need, you pay then leave right afterwords?"

"Yes."

After putting the supplies in their bags, the wagons were moved and the three of them were allowed to leave Daret. They decided to meet Saphira somewhere away from the village and set up camp there. Eragon just had the time to dismount his horse that the dragoness swept his legs out from under him with her tail and pinned him to the ground.

"Saphira! What is your problem?"

Thinking she had lost her mind, Alex quickly drew out his left sword and pointed it at her. Brom put his hand on the broadsword and shook his head.

"It's between the two of them, let them settle their problem."

The swordsman growled. "What the hell is wrong with her?"

_«This hatchling put his nose everywhere. Every time he's not with me, he get into trouble.»_

"Do you really think I was going to let them injure him or Brom? You don't trust me, and this is something I understand completely, but I'm not a selfish man who only think for his safety. If I have the possibility to protect someone and not put them in danger in a situation like the one we just had, I'd do it without a second thought. I am not your friend and you're not mine but I'll protect you all the same, that's a promise."

_«Maybe but still. Tomorrow, he's going to ride me and not that deer-animal you call a horse. »_

"No problem."

Alex smiled inwardly, this was the perfect occasion to talk in private with Brom. He had some questions to ask to him and he was sure the elder had a few for him too.

For the first time that night, Eragon had to spar with Zar'roc. The storyteller had recovered enough to be his opponent again. The young man wasn't accustomed his sword's weight and wasn't as effective in comparison to his other lessons. They dueled for a while before retreating to their bedrolls, next to Saphira.

The sun was only up since one hour when Brom and Alex helped the Rider to saddle the blue lizard. The moment after, she took off and flew away in no particular direction with Eragon on her back. Brom and the other adolescent packed their things on the horses but before climbing on their saddles, the two of them instantly drew out their swords and put it against each other's neck.

Alex laughed with a sincere smile on his lips. The bald man couldn't help but smile too.

"I was expecting this kind of situation. I'm certain you want to know some things about me, am I right?"

"Indeed. And the same could be said in my case. So, I propose you a deal. We answer each other's question if possible. There's some things I can't share with you and you're probably in the same situation."

"Yes, I am. I accept your deal. You're first."

Brom lowered his weapon and sheathed it.

"Who are you? I've never seen anywhere the things you're carrying on you."

"Alexander Gray, nineteen years old and you're right. Nobody except you and Eragon have seen my weapons because they're not from here. I'm from another planet called Earth, a modern world, very different from this one."

"What do you mean by 'modern'? How did you ended up in Alagaësia?"

"We don't use horses anymore to travel from one place to another, we have birds made of steel which fly in the sky for that. Some of our weapons are so powerful that they could destroy half the planet. There's no magic on Earth, we only use science. And for the second question… I recently received a message from a friend who was working for the local authorities and told me they had found two people resembling to the Ra'zac who had assaulted a young mother and her offspring. They did this in a playground, in front of at least thirty people."

"When my friend said this, I rushed to their position and fortunately, they were still there. But, the mother and her children were already dead. I fought them and I can tell you, they're very strong. Those two gave me one hell of a beating. I made the mistake to underestimate them and paid the price. Anyway, in the fight, I've cut one of the two necklace they were wearing, with a strange and glowing gem on it. I quickly discovered it could create a portal to your world. A few days later and after some preparations, I opened one and jumped in it. Next thing I knew, I was less than a mile away from Carvahall and you know as me what happened after. Unfortunately, it seems they attacked Eragon's farm during my recovery. If I had the possibility to follow them sooner, maybe his uncle would be still alive."

Brom slightly frowned.

"Except for the fact that you wouldn't be alive right now, nothing would have changed. Now ask your questions."

"Okay, first: what is the relation between you and Eragon?"

"I'm one of his few frie-" began the storyteller before being interrupted.

"Liar."

Alex crossed his arms and looked at him sourly.

"There's more than that. Strangely, you share some of his facial features or I should say it's the contrary. Genes are transmitted from the father to the son, am I right?"

"Yes, it's true. How did you suspected it?"

"The hurt in your eyes, I saw it a few times when Eragon wasn't happy with your decisions. You want him to understand why you do this but can't because it could endanger him."

"Very perceptive, I see. I learned to not show my emotions too much but it seems it's not perfect. I must ask you to keep this a secret. His mind wouldn't be completely dedicated in his learning to be a Rider if he knew his teacher was also his father."

"I promise, your secret is safe with me. Next one: you have too much knowledge to be a simple storyteller, you said it yourself. So, in that case, what are you? A magician?"

The bald man smiled and shook his head. Then, he climbed on Snowfire, soon followed by the boy.

"You're not far from the reality but now it's my turn to ask: what are doing here? Other that tracking the Ra'zac. I'll answer you after you explained your presence with us."

"Objective one: my superiors ordered me to establish a friendly contact with the local authorities or directly with the government of the kingdom. If they're not friendly, act pacifically and try to find a solution. Objective two: seek and destroy the Ra'zac, every method to find and kill them is authorized, except betraying potentials allies, of course."

"And what happen in the case the Ra'zac are working for the king? Or if you are captured?"

"Kill them, leave this world as soon as possible and destroy the portal. If they capture me, I can try to escape or if it come to the worst, I kill myself. The secrets of my world are too precious to be in the wrong hands."

"I understand."

The duo continued to travel in silence for the next few minutes before Brom broke it.

"And I'm a Rider… well, I was one long ago. My dragon is not with us anymore."

He had a pained look on his face. Seeing this, Alex's eyes darkened with sadness.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be but thank you anyway. Come on, we still have a long way to go."

* * *

They had been following the trail left behind the Ra'zac, but it ended in a jumble of larger tracks and other markings in a clearing.

"This could mean a serious problem for us, we have no trial to follow anymore."

"Dammit!" cursed Alex, exhaling loudly.

"I'm sure they have left something behind in their hurry. We need to search in the area, that's all."

And searching they did. While contacting Eragon to fill him on the findings, they found a flask belonging to the monsters. The strange liquid inside it was known as Seithr oil. This version of the oil was extremely rare but the non-lethal one was used by merchants and jewelers.

After talking, tossing back and forth ideas, they concluded to go to Teirm, a city along the coast where a friend of Brom was supposed to live.

"Well, Teirm it is then. We should be there in a week."

Eragon and Saphira spent the rest of the day flying before settling at camp for the night. As usually, the farmer had his nightly fight with Brom and was still improving. The old man and the boy lay down on either side of the dragoness, and quickly fell asleep to prepare for the next day's journey.

Alex looked at them from his place and smiled. His emotion began to rebel with his convictions and the mindset he needed to accomplish this mission. He wasn't their friend but strangely, his instinct told him he could lower his guard in their presence and trust them with his life. It was on those thoughts he closed his eyes and joined dreamland.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Winterlover6: well, I'm glad you like it. I take great plesure in writing this and I'm happy to know people like it! ^^**

The next day, as they rode, Brom continued to instruct Eragon into magic and other aspects, and soon the leagues began to pass by unnoticed. His knowledge grew with time and he was now able to use advanced spell like manipulating fire or water. His physical skills were improving and now, Alex was forced to train on his own part of the campfire while Brom and Eragon were working together. It was like the two adolescents were in competition. But the man with icy blue eyes knew the Rider still had a long way to go before he could reach his level.

Despite his progression, the Rider still wasn't able to best the storyteller. The days began to pass quickly, and the little group found themselves in the Spine, making their way to the coast. Following the Toark River, they rode until they were proceeding down it's other flank. Then, two days later, they came across a rock ledge which offered a clear view out of the mountains.

"Teirm lays just north of here. We only have three days of travel, no more."

Alex raised his arms in the air and a few joints in his back popped. "That's great because my back and my hindquarters are killing me. It's the reason I hate travelling on a horse's back."

The other two chuckled.

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon."

When the evening fell, they set up camp in the driest spot they could find. During the meal, Eragon pointed out the fact they needed to use false names, just in case of.

"My friend Jeod will not be fooled; he knows my name and I trust him with yours." Brom said after a moment. "To the others, I'll be Neal, and you two will be my nephews, Evan and…"

"Nope, I have my own nickname and I'll stick to it, out of question you give me one."

The storyteller growled but didn't say anything.

* * *

It was Saphira who first sighted Teirm. There was a heavy fog which was obscuring the trio's vision. Eragon gasped as the city was revealed to him for the first time. The city was contained behind a thick white wall, its smooth surface broken only by two iron portcullises at the west and south entrances. The citadel could be seen, rising high above the surrounding northeast section.

"Let's hope the guards haven't received reports of us from the Empire, or the visit could shortened. Don't panic or act suspiciously."

_«We're going in. You should land and find a place to hide. » told the farmer to his dragoness._

_«Sticking your nose where it don't belong, again. »_

_«I know but, if anything happen, Brom and Alex will be here to protect me. »_

_«Are you sure about Alex? Do you think he's trustworthy? » she asked, uncertain._

_«I don't know why but yes, there's something strange about him…I know he's not telling the whole truth about the Ra'zac but at the same time, I feel safe in his presence. »_

_«Very well, Little One. I just hope he will not deceive us. »_

_«I hope too. »_

They continued toward the gate, attempting to appear casual. At the entrance, the guards stood straighter and blocked the way with their pikes. "Wha's yer name?"

"Neal," Brom responded in a wheezy voice, and slouching to one side.

"An' who's th other ones?" asked the guard.

"This'ed be m'nephews; Leeroy n' Evan."

"Yeah, yeah. An yer business here?"

"We's visitin an old friend," supplied Eragon, dropping his voice into a thick accent.

A few moments later, they were authorized to go in the city. The houses were grim and foreboding. After stopping at a local tavern, the trio left with some indications to find Jeod's house. They entered into an herbalist shop belonging to a certain Angela who sat out front with a piece of parchment and a frog in her hands. "Excuse me, could you tell us which house is Jeod's?" Brom asked politely.

"I could," replied the woman, but continued writing.

"Will you-…"

Alex put his hand on Brom's shoulder.

"Wait, let me try. Ma'am, which house is Jeod's, please?"

"Jeod is on the right."

"Thank you ma'am, I bid you a good day."

They stopped before the door the herbalist had shown them, and Brom banged three times. No one answered. Eragon was about to suggest to try the other one but the bald man banged again. There was a pause, then they heard someone rushing at the door. A young woman cracked open the door, her eyes red and puffy but her voice steady. "Yes, what do you want?"

"Does Jeod live here?" Brom asked kindly.

"Yes, he is my husband. Do you have any business with him?"

"No, but we need to speak with him. Could you give him a message for us?"

Her head nodded in consent. "Tell him an old friend of Gil'ead is waiting outside." The woman nodded again and closed the door. Eragon commented:

"That wasn't very nice of her."

They waited a few moments and suddenly, the door opened widely. A tall man burst forth and looked at them, speechless. Before he could ask a single question, Brom shushed him with a finger on his lips.

"Do you know a place where we could talk without anyone eavesdropping on us?"

His friend nodded before leading them through the streets until they reached the citadel. Jeod ushered them in a room, started a fire and began to flood Brom with questions. The storyteller's answers were vague and seeing the scowl on Eragon's face, he suggested him to check on Snowfire.

Now that he was gone, Brom could talk freely.

"Alex, I'm trusting you enough to not tell anything you're going to hear to Eragon. He don't need to know about what I'm going to say… not yet."

"Of course, my lips are sealed."

"Good."

During the conversation, Alex learned that Jeod and Brom were hired to retrieve something for someone. The old man was forced to let his friend think he was dead to complete their mission. They talked about a dwarven settlement called Tronjheim. When Jeod suggested to go back there, Brom refused, saying that Eragon and Saphira weren't ready for this. The storyteller decided to send a letter to a certain 'Ajihad' with his ring to prove it was him.

Then, they exited the building and were joined by Eragon. After a meal in a nicer tavern, the farmer decided to go out of the city to check on something. Interested by Jeod's library, Alex followed the other two to eat all the books the merchant had (not literally, of course). Fortunately and strangely, the Alagaësian language was exactly the same as English.

When Eragon came back, he revealed he didn't know how to read. Brom agreed to teach him how to. Then, they conversed for a time before the night fell and they decided to go to bed. Eragon and Alex were sharing the same room, with two separate beds. The latter deposed his backpack and his weapons against his nightstand and put the silver gun, the one he could handle with a single hand, under his pillow. Five seconds later, he fell asleep.

* * *

Alex carefully left the room, not wanting to wake up the other person present in it. The sun had just risen but the young man was completely awake and ready to begin his day. He tiptoed down the house, passing by the others chambers. Closing the door as gently as possible, he made his way to the gate. Soon, he was in a small forest, not far from the city but enough to not be found accidentally.

The sound of metal against metal echoed in the area. Alex put himself into position and began slashing everywhere around him, using different combos and mixing them together to kill imaginary enemies. The sword in his left hand was only a blur, cutting the hands, shields and heads of the foes present in his head. For him, he wasn't in the forest near Teirm but in an open field, with dozen of Ra'zac everywhere. The flow of time had stopped in this place, there was only him, his sword and his opponents. Alex wasn't thinking anymore, he was only relying on his instincts and his knowledge of the manipulation of the sword. Minutes passed by before he was interrupted in his training by an unknown voice in his head.

_«__You're not using your full strength human, aren't you? __»_

Alex stopped what he was doing and turned his head around to find who had talked. There was a small boy, no older than twelve, observing him, a few meters away and with a short sword in his right hand. There weren't many people who could speak telepathically. Something wasn't right about this child.

He gave him a fanged grin.

The young swordsman shivered. Yeah, there's something very strange with this boy.

"What are you doing here, little guy? You should go back inside Teirm, these roads can be dangerous."

_«I know who you are, stranger from another world. »_

Widening his eyes, the adolescent with grey hair pointed the tip of his broadsword to the kid. "How?" he whispered, shocked to be found so quickly and by a simple child.

_«I didn't felt any magic in you. The clothes and strange things you had on you were a giveaway too. »_

"Okay, let's say you're right. Now, what I want to know is what do you want?"

_«Simple… a fight. The two conditions are that you're obliged to use your second sword and don't hold yourself back. »_

Alex nodded and smiled.

"I'm fine with this but in exchange, you must answers my questions."

_«I'll do it. The first who drop his sword or had his opponent's blade under the neck lose. »_

"Good. Let's go!"

Without warning, the young man rushed to his target and raised his left arm above his head before it came down in a vertical slash. His blade only met the wind because the boy had jumped on the right to evade the blow. The swordsman unsheathed his katana, positioning himself with an open guard.

"Could you, at least, give me your name?"

_«I have many names. However, you may call me Solembum. »_

"And I'm Alex."

_«Strange name but fitting for one who is not from here. »_

Again, Alex rushed to Solembum but this time, the latter didn't move a single muscle. The swordsman tried to hit him on both sides with each sword but the child stepped back and blocked the blow with his own blade.

Ignoring what just happened, the adolescent was going to deliver another blow when he saw the were-cat attacking first, his short sword ready to hit horizontally. Alex stopped it and tried to put his katana under the child's neck but was parried, his blade and arm now raised to the sky. Following this, more blows were shared during a good half an hour before Alex decided to use the same trick he did against Brom and disarmed Solembum.

_«You're good… for a human. »_

"For a human?"

_«Of course, do you really think you could stand a chance against an elf, a Shade or a Rider? »_

"I'm sure with some train-"

Again, the young man was interrupted, this time by the arrival of the herbalist he met yesterday. She had a bag full of herbs in her hands.

"There you are, one moment I'm looking away to find a new frog and the next, you're not here anymore."

She then turned her head at Alex and looked startled. "He said you're a good warrior but you have to work harder to fully exploit your potential."

"Well, thank you." The swordsman raised his head to the sky and slightly frowned. "Sorry but I have to go, it's almost noon and I'm hungry. Farewell!"

_«Wait a moment, there's something I have to tell you. When the time comes, you'll have to make a choice: choose between two lives, save one or the other. Whatever you decide, it'll change your future, both with good advantages and bad ones. »_

Before he could ask what he mean, the boy walked away. Angela tilted her head. "I don't know what he said, and I don't want to. What he said was for you and you alone. I take my leave, there're some experiments I need to do."

At the moment Alex was finally alone, he exhaled loudly and sheathed his two blades. Yep, after all the time he practiced, he still needed to improve. As if it was impossible for him to reach his best and beat the Ra'zac. Looking at the sea, a grin appeared on his lips. He still had a few weeks or months before confronting again the monsters, it's more than enough time to train harder.

Finally, he decided that lunch was an option and keeping his body in shape was a better thing to do until the closing of the city.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6****  
**

_«I need to be faster. »_

Alex increased the amount of force he put in his blows and the speed at which he delivered them. Each time he slashed the air, drops of sweat fell to the ground. His jacket and shirt were laying against a tree, while the upper part of his body was drenched and glistening. His breathing was now labored but he continued to train.

_«Faster. »_

He quickened the pace even more.

_«Faster! »_

Again.

_«FASTER! »_

And again, to the point he began to feel dizzy and light-headed.

But even if Alex was in this state, he didn't stop to catch his breath. The results were too important to offer himself this luxury. Unfortunately, his legs were too weak to support his weight anymore and he fell on his back, dropping his swords at the same occasion. Breathing loudly, he saw the position of the sun in the sky, indicating it was two in the afternoon.

"Dammit! I promised to not tire myself like this ever again but, looks like I couldn't resist the temptation, heh. At least, now I know that I need to work more on my stamina."

After a few attempts to get up, the young man succeeded and put his clothes on before walking in direction of the city. He made his way to Jeod's house where he met the owner of the house and Brom who outlined their own trial and how they'll overcome them. One tense dinner between Jeod and Helen later, Eragon decided to go to bed but Alex stayed behind, wanting to talk with the bald man.

Two of them were behind the house with the adolescent slouching against a wall.

"There's something I must ask of you."

Brom raised an eyebrow, curious to hear what Alex wanted. "Well… go ahead, I'm listening."

"It's more a favor than a request but, could you give me some tips or teach me a few things to help me improve my fighting skills? I'm sure there are a few things I could learn from you."

"Alex," he began, taking a short pause to exhale loudly before continuing. "You have a good knowledge of how to fight with a sword, what could I teach you that you already don't know? Maybe you need to work on some details but still…"

"I have to become more powerful, I must be as strong as the Ra'zac if I want to –"

The man with blue eyes was violently pushed and held against the wall.

"Do yourself a favor and stop this madness at once! This word is constantly on your lips, think of something else. Look at Eragon, they tortured his uncle but is he constantly trying to compare himself to them? No. You can't fight the world on your own, you shouldn't be this obsessed with them. Yes, they did something wrong. Yes, they killed someone you cherished but it's not a reason to be like this. Galbatorix went mad because he wanted justice, because he denied the truth and refused to listen to anyone."

Tears fell on Brom's hands as Alex cried silently, with closed eyes. He whimpered and sobbed quietly. The young adult couldn't keep his mask of indifference anymore. It was time for him to say the whole truth.

"They ate him… they ate my best friend alive, in front of me. I-I couldn't do anything to save him, I was only fourteen when it happened. What was worst, was the fact they deliberately ate him slowly, piece by piece and left what remained of him to die and rot. I wanted to rush after them, to kill them but I was tetanized in fear, obliged to watch all of this without being able to help. The moment before he left the world, he told me he wasn't mad and wished me to have a happy life despite this."

The swordsman continued to cry but this time, he opened his eyes, which were puffy, and looked at Brom.

"That's the reason why I'm after them. That's the reason why they must be wiped out of the surface of the world."

"I'm sorry for your loss." The storyteller released him from his grip, patted him on the shoulder and opened the door leading to the kitchen. "We should go to bed now if we don't want to be tired when we'll wake up tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right."

* * *

_Alex was waiting in front of a wooden door, his hand on the knob. Everything was over, the Ra'zac were dead and he could live in the rest of life in peace now. Finally, after a few second, he opened the door and entered inside the apartment. His parents were in the living room, watching something while his little sister was on the armchair, reading a book._

_"__Hey everyone, I'm home!"_

_He closed the door behind him and walked in the room they were in but Alex was completely ignored. Then, his mother turned her head in his direction._

_"__Why have you abandoned us?"_

_"__Yes, why did you do it, big brother?" continued his sister._

_"__What? I didn't—"_

_The young man looked surprised at their reaction, not expecting them to act like this. They were completely fine with it when he told them he was pursuing those who killed his almost-brother._

_"__We gave you food, a roof above your head and you left us!"_

_"__I have to avenge Robert's death!"_

_"__Please Alex, come back home, leave this quest behind and we'll forgive you."_

_"Forgive me? For what? Because I decided to be in peace with myself by killing them? __No. I'll never give up. Not until it's done."_

_"__In that case, leave this house traitor! Leave and never set a foot here!"_

_Alex opened the door to the outside world, feeling betrayed, and ran away, tears running down his cheeks like a waterfall._

The swordsman opened his eyes and gasped in shock, drying his moistened cheeks. Well, that was an unexpected nightmare. He left his bed and walked to the bathroom. Once inside, he splashed some water on his beard before unsheathing his knife and began to clean the hair around his mouth and on the lower part of his face. After a few minutes, the task was over. Fortunately, he didn't cut himself this time.

Then, Alex decided to go into Jeod's office to read some books. He was sure he could find something interesting to keep his mind occupied for one or two hours.

* * *

Quickly, a routine was established for the two adolescents. Eragon would meet Brom in the study for his lessons until mid-afternoon and during the rest of the time before dinner, the farmer and the swordsman had to practice their fighting skills, with a sword or their fists. Sometimes, the old man was observing them, giving a compliment or advice from time to time. Alex was slightly improving, his blows were faster, more powerful than before and he could keep fighting for half an hour before feeling the tiredness in his arms but still, he wasn't anywhere near the Ra'zac. This single fact was frustrating him. Eragon still had a lot of work to do if he wanted to match him but he was getting better.

After one week of intense practice, Brom summoned them to the study. They decided to infiltrate the citadel's archives in order to find something linking the Ra'zac to the oil. At sunset, Eragon got up from his nap, while Alex was cleaning his grey weapon and his knife. The swordsman knew he only needed those two, not all of them.

"You're going without anything? That's a dangerous move." stated Brom when they were outside.

Alex grinned. "We're not going to start a war, are we? So, no need to go with everything I have."

The old man only shook his head and the four of them made their way casually to their destination. Jeod took the lead and strode up to the castle's gates before pounding on the small door.

A guard appeared, slightly staggering. The smell of rum was evident on him.

"We need to get in."

"Wha' for?"

Eragon hung his head in shame. "This boy left something valuable in my office."

The guard frowned, but let them pass. Brom gave him a few coins and the soldier left, happy. Once they arrived in front of the room, he put his hand on the lock and whispered a word Eragon did not recognize. Alex pushed the storyteller aside and entered first, his arms outstretched and with his gun in his hands. The small room was filled with racks piled high with scrolls.

"It's empty, you can come in!" he said, in a low tone.

Brom looked at him with a sour look.

"Why did you do that?"

"Always be sure where you're going is not a trap. If someone unfriendly was waiting for us inside, I would have killed him before he could call for reinforcement. And if it was the opposite that happened you know as me I'm a liability for you. My death wouldn't have mattered much."

It was on those words the young man began scanning anything mentioning the Seithr oil. They continued to search for a good twenty minutes when Eragon blurted something. "There're soldiers looking for us."

"How do you know?"

"The guard told his replacement we are here and they send others to look for us."

"Are you sure?" asked Jeod, nervously.

"Yes! We have to leave, now."

The other adolescent reacted immediately. He put the scroll he had in his hand back to its place and rushed to the door, opening it slightly to observe the corridor for any guard. Then, a moment later, they all left the room and Brom locked it just as three soldiers rounded the corner.

"Why are you trying to get in the records room?"

"I'm afraid we lost our way." A drop of sweat appeared on Jeod's eyebrow.

One of the subordinates tried to open the door but it didn't bulge. "It's locked, sir."

"Alright then. Since we can't open it, you're free to go. Come."

They reached the main gate and left the place. They quickly made their way to Jeod's house. Once safely inside, Eragon couldn't hold it any longer. "We did it!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, but we have to see if it was worth it."

The four of them looked at the map of Alagaesia and what they have found. The oil was shipped to many places throughout the Empire, but the one that stood the most was Dras-Leona. The city was large, well situated and had the perfect place for those monsters to call home: Helgrind.

Alex gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His quest was almost over now. Soon, no one'll stop him to have his revenge and spill the blood of the murderers. Eragon left them to go to bed and the man with silver hair was ready to follow him. His hand was on the knob of the door of the study when Brom called for him. "Alex?"

"Yes?"

"What you said earlier… it's false. You're not a liability."

The young man turned his head to look at the elder with wide eyes, not expecting to hear this at all.

"Don't sell yourself short. Since the beginning of this adventure, you've become more than a toy we throw aside when we don't want to play with it anymore. You trusted me by sharing your story and I trust you with my life. You're my friend and I want to be yours. Eragon think you're trustworthy but it'll be a little more complicated with _her._ Don't worry, she'll open up to you."

Even if he didn't want to admit it, those words touched Alex deep inside his heart and he couldn't help but shed a tear. A tiny smile appeared on his lips.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Goodnight."

After removing his equipment and undressing, Alex lay down on his bed, too tired to go under the covers.

* * *

The next morning, the two adolescents thanked Jeod for his hospitality and Alex gave him a small ruby, of the nail size of his thumb. Both of them jumped on Cadoc's saddle while Brom exchanged farewells with his old friend.

"Sell it to a jeweler, I'm sure you can have a good price from it. I hope it'll be enough to cover the money you spent for us."

"Well, thank you. I'm certain it's going to be be useful to survive during these harsh times."

Then, the two horses were spurred toward the city gates.

"Damn, back to the road and on those horses' back. I didn't missed a single moment of this. Nope!"

The farmer and the storyteller laughed at this. They rode through the gate in silence and soon, the city was behind them. Alex looked one last time at Teirm before turning his attention to their newest and maybe, last destination: Dras-Leona.

_«Ra'zac, here I come! I hope you're ready because this time, I'm not going to let you escape alive and in one piece. Even if I have to fight an army to reach you, I'll do it without a second thought. »_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**umaroth elda: Nah, Kirito is just a child who received a skill because he has the fastest reaction time while Alex worked hard to be able to wield two swords and protect himself correctly. They're two characters completely different in everything.**

The three humans were riding at a good pace, while Brom was still instructing the farmer in the art of magic, Alex was admiring the landscape. It wasn't often he could see a beauty like this. He was the kind of boy who was raised in a big city, not accustomed to see fields and mountains. A cool gust gently touched his right cheek and moved his hair a little, making him smile. But it was a genuine smile, not a fake one he often used to keep his relatives from worrying when he felt bad about something.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Brom, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm… happy, look at everything around you. It's so beautiful. Nowadays, there's not a lot of people who are interested in admiring the landscape anymore."

The bald man chuckled. "I can't help but agree on that."

While the storyteller and the young Rider were talking about were-cats, the sound of wings flapping reached their ears and forced the trio to look at the sky to see a blue creature landing a few meters away from them.

Eragon was slightly surprised by this. Maybe Saphira wanted to have him fly with her. After all, it's been more than two weeks since their last flight. Her next words shocked him even more.

_«Alex, would you like to go for a ride with me? I want to talk about a few things with you. »_

"I don't think it's a good idea, shouldn't Eragon be the only one on your back?"

_«I don't mind and he won't too. Right, little one?»_

"Well…why not? I'm not against it."

_«What do you have in mind? It's not in your habits to do something like that. » he said, wanting know why she requested this from the swordsman._

_«I need to ask him some questions and see for myself if I can trust him.»_

_Eragon nodded. __«Ah, I see. Tell me what he says. »_

_«Will do. » __She then licked his cheek._

The adolescent with grey hair jumped off the horse and walked to the dragoness, bearing a wide smile on his face.

"Man, it's like a dream coming true. Thank you for this, Saphira. I'm glad I'm not afraid of the heights."

"You're indeed someone strange." said Brom, before explaining. "You absolutely hate riding a horse but you're thrilled by the idea of soaring the skies on a dragon's back."

"Yeah, I know but hey, it's not like I can control what I'm afraid of or not!"

Alex climbed up on the saddle and put his feet on the leather calipers.

"I think I'm ready, we can go when you want to Saphira."

The blue dragoness didn't answer and jumped into the sky, gaining altitude quickly before stabilizing. Alex thought the scenery was beautiful from the ground but it was nothing compared to watching it from the air. Magnificent wouldn't be enough to describe what he saw. Fields, rivers and trees were only a blur under him, appearing and disappearing as quickly as they came. His mouth opened in awe.

"Okay, that is cool!"

_«I'm happy to know you appreciate the flight. »_

"So, what do you wanted to talk about?"

_«Eragon is my partner of mind and heart, it is my duty to protect him, especially against people who want to hurt him or use him. And I must know…are you one of them? »_

"No."

_«Prove it. »_

"I know Brom's true identity, I know he was one of the riders. His dragon was killed during the fight in Doru Areaba. I shared with him who I really am and what was once my first objective here, in Alagaësia. Even after what happened since we left Carvahall, you're still suspicious of me and this is something I completely understand."

_«If this old man think you're trustworthy enough, I'm not going to gainsay him. But what do you mean by 'first objective in Alagaësia'? »_

"Usually, I like to keep my memories and thoughts to myself but feel free to search the answer to your question in my head. I hate to repeat myself."

This is exactly what she did. Less than five seconds after talking, Alex felt a heavy but gentle pressure in his mind. Saphira didn't want to invade his privacy more than necessary and quickly found the whole reason of his presence before leaving.

_«I don't know what to say… I would have acted more friendly if I knew the truth sooner. »_

The swordsman smiled. "Don't say that, it's in my nature to keep things for myself and stay distant because I don't want to be attached." But slowly, it transformed into a sad frown. "I keep others away from me because I'm afraid of losing them like I lost _him_ but strangely, I feel like I can consider you a friend and don't fear to not see you ever again. Why? I don't know and I'm sure I'll never know the answer one day. And it's the same for Eragon."

_«So… what now? »_

"Well, it's not too late to be friends."

A smile appeared on her draconic lips.

_«It doesn't seems to be a bad idea. »_

"Now that we put this behind us, show me what you got!"

_«With pleasure. But don't complain if your stomach can't stand it! »_

The blue overgrown lizard folded her wings against her sides and did a few aileron rolls. Before Alex could feel dizzy, she opened them and quickly followed with a barrel roll. Then, she climbed higher until she decided it was enough and stopped flying, making the two of them dropping to the ground at a fast pace. The young man with grey hair yelled in joy, feeling his heart beating rapidly against his chest.

Saphira suddenly stopped their descent by opening her wings and float in the air. Alex inhaled slowly and deeply to calm his heartbeat.

"That was one hell of an experience! Thank you again for sharing this with me."

_«Think nothing of it. I also appreciated this moment even if I used it as an excuse to talk privately with you.»_

The adolescent stayed silent and looked at the sky, watching the position of the sun and sighed. "We should come back to Brom and Eragon, it'll be dark soon."

The two men had stopped in a small clearing for the day. When Saphira landed softly, Alex climbed down from the saddle and stretched a few limbs, hearing some of them pop in answer. He sighed in contentment.

"As much I loved this little ride, it's good to be back on the ground again."

"So, how was it?" asked the storyteller, curious to hear what the swordsman had to say.

"Just… wow, I mean, the sight from up there is magnificent. It's difficult to describe how I feel after living something like this. What's corresponding the most is that I'm overjoyed and honored for having experienced such a thing once in my life."

Brom couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Not many people can claim they rode on a dragon's back, except for a rider. You're very lucky indeed."

Alex began to unpack their things from the horses and prepared a fire for tonight's meal. While the fire was heating up, Eragon walked away to find a source of water. After a few minutes, Saphira was cleaning her forepaws when she suddenly turned her head in a direction and jumped in the forest. She began to tear it apart before stopping and rushing back to the camp to put herself around Brom and cover him from the outside world with her wings.

"Saphira, what's happening?!" asked Alex, tightening his grip on his M4A1.

But the dragoness didn't answer.

When Eragon entered the campsite, he had to duck the lizard's tail, as it swung overhead. "Stop, it's me!"

"Eragon, what the heck is going on? One moment, your dragon was cool and the next, she went crazy on us!"

"I found an Urgal footprint, it's fresh. And I broke my wrist. Where's Brom?"

A gruff retort came from behind Saphira's wings.

"Tell her to release me; she won't listen to me."

She then folded her wings, freeing the storyteller.

"Alex, saddle the horses and help Eragon to climb on Cadoc."

"Aye."

He did as he was told and when they were on the horse, the farmer used his good arm to put it around the swordsman's waist. Saphira nuzzled her rider and took off. The three men pushed the horses to their limits, wanting to put as much distance as possible with their pursuers. Eragon had his head against Alex's right shoulder and his wrist close to his chest, trying to not move it too much.

The trio heard the sound of a horn behind them. "I think they found our camp and Saphira's tracks. They will not stop the chase until they capture or kill us. We have to outrun them." Then, two more horns sounded. Closer than before. A moment later, the sapphire dragoness landed beside the bay horse.

"Go with her, you'll be fine." Commanded the old man.

"But, and you?"

Alex smirked and raised his dark grey weapon. "Don't you think they'll have us that easily. In the case we must fight, I'll happily put them down with my bare hands."

Saphira flew off as the two riders rode away. As the minutes passed by, the swordsman often looked in the sky to spot the dragon and her passenger. It's been some time since they last heard a horn but without warning, one sounded very close to Brom and Alex. They resumed a frenzied retreat. It was too late for them to outrun the chasers. Risinghis head again at the sky, the young man didn't saw the giant lizard and immediately stopped his mount.

"Stop! We have to go back, they used themselves as a bait to let us escape!"

Alex rode the way back as fast as he could without trying to injure the horse in the process. When he entered the clearing, he saw that something horrible was going to happen. One Urgal was behind Saphira, who was only concentrated on Eragon's wellbeing, and had raised its axe to deliver the killing blow at her neck.

Without a second thought, the swordsman did the only thing logical in this situation. He jumped from the saddle, and unsheathed both of his swords. The Urgal's hand holding the weapon fell to the ground, soon followed by the head.

It was only at this moment Saphira looked around her to see the headless monster on the ground. Two others regained consciousness and snarled at the human. The latter sheathed his swords and pointed his gun at them, his laser sight directly aimed to the head of one of them.

"Drop your swords now and surrender or I'll have kill you!"

"We only obey to our master. The one who dominates this land and everything living on it."

"Too bad, I'm not from this place so he has no right over me."

"He know of this and why you're here. You'll never be successful in your quest to have the head of the Ra'zac."

The man with grey hair smiled at this bit of information.

"So, Galbatorix is your master? I know who is pulling the strings, now. But, unfortunately, that means I have to kill you."

And less than five seconds after, Alex pressed the trigger twice. The bullets ended right between their eyes and their bodies dropped to the earth. The swordsman sighed and walked to the unconscious boy. He knelt at Eragon's side and checked for a pulse. Fortunately, he found one.

"Why is he like this?" Alex demanded, as Brom arrived in the clearing.

_«He used too much magic to repel the Urgals. But there was more of them. I shouldn't have obeyed him, I knew it was a bad idea.»_

"I see. Brom, what are we going to do? We can't stay here but we can't let those creatures escape alive."

The bald man nodded. "Eragon's safety is our priority, we'll take care of the Urgals later."

"In that case, I'll keep an eye on him while you two go after them. I'll only slow you down."

The adolescent raised his head to look into the dragoness' eyes.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine with me."

She sniffled and smiled a little.

_«Thank you for saving my life and for this. »_

"It's nothing, now go! We're wasting time."

Brom climbed on Saphira's saddle, who then jumped up and took off.

"Unfortunately, I can't move you around too much without risking to injure your wrist further." Alex sighed and installed the farmer comfortably under some blankets. "So, we have to stay here. I take the first watch so you can sleep in peace."

He chuckled and shook his head.

"As if you could answer or even hear me."

Alex sat against a tree, his eyes observing the clearing with attention and ready to fight if necessary.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Brom, he's just a child. You can't expect him to know exactly what to do in every situation! It was his first true fight, it's completely normal to mess up in a moment like this one."

"Yes but it was stupid! Soon, Galbatorix will know the face of the person for who Saphira hatched. There'll be posters everywhere with our faces on it. The roads and towns are going to be patrolled by the guards. For now on, we have to be more cautious than ever."

It was at this moment Eragon decided to step in.

"You told me the Urgals spotted Saphira's footprints. So what if they saw me?"

Brom stuck his sword in the ground. "I said there was a possibility they saw her tracks. Anyway, it's too late now."

The storyteller then looked at the swordsman.

"How are you sure it's the king who is leading them?"

"The Urgal I spoke to told me his leader knew who I was and that I could never achieve my objective. The Ra'zac can have shared this information with only one person and it's Galbatorix."

"If it's the case, that's something completely new, especially from the king. It was the Urgals who killed his first dragon, what's the use in having an alliance with them?" asked Brom, more to himself than the others. "Anyway, we'll know sooner or later. In the meantime, we have to keep moving."

The three of them prepared the horses for the day's travel. In less than ten minutes, they were ready. Then, they set off towards the Toark River. During the next days, Brom continued training the young Rider, giving him tips about what to do in situations involving magic, Urgals, Saphira and sometimes a Shade. Alex also listened, thinking he could learn some useful things.

Time passed by and soon, the group was now back on the plains. The temperature was warmer than before, indicating the arrival of spring. After riding a few leagues, Brom pointed his finger in front of him. "We're near the Leona Lake. It's two or three leagues away, not more."

The travelers arrived at their destination a few moments after the moon rose. They decided to eat almost immediately and go to sleep just after.

At dawn, Eragon was the first to wake up and admired the lake in the daylight. The farmer quickly walked back to the camp to convince his dragoness to go for a swim with him. The latter happily accepted and the two of them flew away from the shore.

Awakened by their movements, Alex stood up and decided to gather some wood for a fire. When his task was done, he sat against a tree, watching the duo playing in the water. Slowly, a smile grew on his lips. It reminded him of his childhood with his best friend, Robert. When the summer was around, they used to go to a small river, not far from where Alex lived. Those inseparable friends spent all their afternoon there, talking, fishing or listening to the wild life around them… until that fateful day. Since then, Alex never came back there.

"When all of this is over, I'll go back to our little place, even if it's for the last time." He whispered, while hot tears were falling down his cheeks.

"Something's wrong?"

Turning his head to the left, the man with grey hair saw Brom sitting in front of the fire. The elder was looking at him curiously.

"Huh? Oh, nah, I'm fine." Alex sniffled a few times and dried his cheeks with his jacket. His eyes were slightly puffy and his face red.

Now, the storyteller had a sad expression on his face. "It's about your friend, isn't it?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes. When we were children, we used to play near a river. It was the good old times. Since the day they killed him, I never found the courage to go back there."

The swordsman then watched the Rider and his lizard swimming.

"They're so young, so innocent. They don't deserve to live this kind of life, always on the roads and afraid to have their throats sliced every night."

"I agree with you." replied Brom. "But this is how the world is. We must live with it."

Alex nodded.

"What's the plan for today?"

"Day off. We'll travel tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me. Excepted when we were at Teirm, we never really had one. I'm going to take a nap."

The old man looked surprised. "No training today?"

"I kept my skills sharp during the last two weeks, one day without a sword in my hand isn't going to kill me!" he laughed.

"Who are you and what did you do to Alex?"

The adolescent with icy eyes smirked and shook his head. "You told me I had to slow down on my training. I'm just following the voice of wisdom, nothing else."

Alex lay on the ground, under the tree, and used his bag as a pillow before closing his eyes. The blue dragon swam in direction of the camp and walked to the swordsman. She stopped less than three meters away from him and lightly touched his right feet with her nose.

_«Alex, would you like to swim with us? It's better than staying here, don't you think? »_

"Nah, I need to sleep for a few hours after being on watch since the chase."

Saphira lowered her head and looked at the ground, before sighing. _«Oh…okay. See you later. » _Her voice sounded disappointed. The moment after, she jumped off and flew back to her rider.

"You know, it was a good opportunity to gain her trust, right?" said Brom.

"I already have it. I told her the truth about my purpose here and the fact I saved her life two weeks ago helped too."

"In that case, this was the perfect occasion to be her friend and have some fun. It's better to have a dragon on your side than against you."

The young man opened one eye to look at the storyteller.

"I don't have friends, I don't need friends and the last one I had died in front of me."

"Don't you remember what I said in Jeod's office?"

"I do. But it's useless Brom. Soon, all of this will be over. You'll forget me and I'll forget you, Saphira and Eragon."

Brom shrugged. "I don't know why but, I can feel it's not going to end the way you think."

"We'll see."

* * *

Eragon and Brom were standing fifteen feet away from each other. No one moved a muscle and a heavy silence reigned over the camp. Finally, after a few seconds, it was the farmer who did the first move by launching a stick at the old man with his right hand but failed miserably because of his injury. He then ducked under the storyteller's blow before launching himself at him. The two of them fought on the ground before jumping again to their feet. Every time their blades met, there were sparks.

Slowly, the outcome of the battle changed. Brom was losing ground and he was getting slower. Finally, Eragon swung Zar'roc faster than before. In result, the bald man's sword was knocked to the ground.

"You finally surpassed me."

"But we just started," protested the rider.

Brom sat on the ground and sheathed his weapon.

"I taught you everything I know. The only thing you can do is to continue practicing. I think it will be better if you do it with Alex from now on. His fighting style is different from mine and it'll be a good training for both of you." A tiny smile appeared on his lips. "Warriors who travel together learn a lot from each other in a fight. What one lack in a domain can be compensated by the other."

"Do you think we stand a chance against the Ra'zac?"

"It'll be difficult but if we combine our strengths, yes, we have a good chance."

Alex nodded happily. It was exactly what he wanted to hear. "That's good to know, we should go to sleep, tomorrow could be a long day."

The young swordsman was about to lay on the patch of grass he used as a bed when he felt something tugging at the back of his neck. He was suddenly pulled back and found himself against Saphira's belly, with Eragon on his right.

"The heck?" he said, blinking.

The farmer shrugged, not knowing what to say. The blue dragoness was acting oddly these days, maybe she **really** wanted to be his friend. Alex decided to not question it and accepted the situation for what it was. The two adolescent settled against her warm side for the night and she dropped a wing over them. The sound of crackling fire lulled them to sleep.

The next morning, the trio had the chance to eat lunch in a small village called Fasaloft. Since travelers were becoming more frequent, the big lizard had to fly high all day and join the group at night. After riding for a few days, people confirmed them Dras-Leona was a day's ride ahead.

"There's a possibility of the city being full of spies working for the Ra'zac. We must be careful." informed Brom, in a serious tone.

"I'll leave some of my weapons at the inn during our stay and have only my swords on me. I'll do the same with my jacket, I'm too recognizable with it…and I have to shave my beard."

"A good idea indeed. Do you think they know you're here?"

Alex shook his head. "Possible. They informed Galbatorix of my existence so maybe, those two expect my presence at Dras-Leona but not with you."

Finally, they arrived at their destination. The city was standing in front of them, a few leagues away. A few miles east, a dark mountain speared the sky. Brom pointed out this was Helgrind. He explained the strange worship linked to the mountain.

The swordsman clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Very soon, all of this will be over.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The Golden Globe was the name of the Inn where they decided to stay during their visit in Dras-Leona. The food was edible but the beer enjoyable. Alex left the other two when they decided to drink more than necessary and walked back to their room. He disassembled his weapons and began to clean each of them, ensuring at the same time that they could still work properly if the situation arose.

When the other two came back, they were clearly drunk. Each of them laid on his mat and was out cold less than a minute later. The swordsman shook his head, slightly smiling. After all, it was a way to vent out all the stress accumulated after travelling for weeks.

The next day, he was the first one ready to explore the city while the storyteller and the rider had some difficulties to get up thanks to the effects of alcohol.

"I'm not going to reprimand you two because I did the same thing a few times, so I know how it feels to have a hangover."

Finally, after a quick breakfast, the trio split up to cover more ground and began their search about anything related to the Ra'zac and the Seithr oil. As the sun left its place to the moon, the group went back in the room after a long day of finding information, they all shared what they heard and tried to solve the puzzle. The best probability was that Helgrind was used as the Ra'zac's lair. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be easy to go inside the mountain but not impossible. Maybe if they disguised themselves as slaves, it could work.

This time, it was Brom who was up first and had left the adolescents sleeping peacefully, explaining on a note he was gone to find more clues. Waking up, the two boys decided to do some sightseeing after breakfast. A few hours later, they found themselves in front of the cathedral. After admiring the architecture, they went inside. Slowly, the farmer and the swordsman approached the altar while gazing at everything around them. A cold chill traveled down their spines. They didn't know why but something was wrong.

Looking in direction of the door, Eragon gasped. Surprised by his reaction, Alex turned to do the same and froze in place, his heart beginning to beat rapidly. The Ra'zac stood in the doorway, their blades drawn.

"Eragon, I want you to listen carefully about what I'm going to say. There's a door on your right, take it and don't look back. I'm sure it'll lead you outside. Send a message to Brom and tell him to meet you at the Inn. Take my belongings with you and leave Dras-Leona." said Alex, in a hushed tone.

"But—"

A line of soldiers appeared behind the two monsters and filled the passageway, blocking the entrance.

The young man pushed the farmer away. "Get out of here, now!"

The duo tried to follow the rider but were stopped by a loud bang and a bullet which finished its course in a wall, a few centimeters near their heads.

"No. Just no. Today, the only person you'll fight is me. I want a rematch from our fight on Earth and my vengeance will end right here, right now!"

One of the sibling let out a dark chuckle.

"Do you really think sssssssso?"

Alex sheathed his Deagle and withdraw the two swords, more than ready to beat their asses after all the training he had since his arrival in Alagaësia. His eyes showed nothing but pure determination. "Oh yeah, I waited too long for this moment. Your little soldiers can also participate, I don't mind."

"Let's rock and roll!" he yelled, rushing at the two monsters and the group of soldiers.

His swords collided with those of the Ra'zac, sending sparks everywhere around them. The swordsman gritted his teeth in effort, trying to not be pushed back by the two murderers.

They were still very strong but not as before and this is what made Alex smile internally. Maybe this time he could beat them, or use himself as a bait long enough to let the others put some distance between them and the town.

* * *

Eragon was running down the corridor, dashing aside priests. The sound of blades against blades and shouts of pain could be heard behind him and worry filled his mind. Would Alex be okay, fighting those creatures and the soldiers alone? How did they find them so quickly? What about Brom?

After destroying a door which was in his way, the boy's path ended at a high wall. Deciding to not lose time, he stepped back and then, sprinted to have a little momentum and jumped. He climbed it and fell on the other side. From where he was, he could see more and more guards entering the cathedral. Now, there were also the sound of thunder and a bright flash of light coming from inside. Seeing all those guards coming inside the building, people began to leave the area. Eragon decided it was a good idea to take advantage of the general confusion to go back to the Golden Globe and also notified Saphira of the situation.

He dashed until he arrived at the inn, took their belongings, readied the horses and waited for Brom to arrive. The storyteller was not amused at all by how the events were turning out. He swung himself onto Snowfire and was ready to go when Eragon clutched to his arm.

"Alex stayed there, we must do something!"

"There's nothing we can do for him now. Don't you understand Eragon? He stayed behind to give us time. We have to use this opportunity to escape the city!"

The young rider sighed but obeyed reluctantly.

Fortunately, they managed to leave Dras-Leona before the closing of the doors.

After riding for some time, the weather worsened, forcing the group to make their camp behind a pair of boulders, not far from the main road. It was the only decent hiding place they could find for now.

_«Are you alright, Little One? » asked the dragoness, nuzzling her Rider gently._

_Eragon sighted loudly, his eyes watering. __«I-I don't know… The Ra'zac were after me, I was their prey but Alex stepped in front of them. Maybe if he wasn't here at this exact moment, I would be on my way to Urû'baen right now. He saved my life and I couldn't do anything in return. Is he even still alive? »_

_«I'm sure he is. They may be strong but he is determined to reach his goal. There's not a lot of things that can stop him when he want something. »_

_«I hope so. »_

"I'll take the first watch." said the farmer, sitting with his back against a tree.

Only a few minutes have passed when he caught something moving on his right. Standing and walking in this direction, Eragon frowned. Everything was standing still. He didn't know why but something wasn't right and his Gedwaÿ ignasia was itching.

"Did you see something?" asked the storyteller, talking in a low voice, almost whispering.

The farmer was about to answer when he felt pain in his neck and the moment after, his world went black.

* * *

Eragon blinked a few times and groaned in pain. His arms and hands refused to obey much when he tried to move them. It took him a few seconds to understand they were bound behind him. Looking on his right side, he saw Brom in a similar state, but still out cold.

Someone ambushed them, someone who was very good at stalking because the adolescent didn't hear him, or them, coming. Suddenly, his eyes met the face of a Ra'zac and fear invaded his mind. His magic refused to work when he tried, as if he didn't know the words anymore to use it.

"I think the drug is working well. At least, you will not be a bother for the next hours."

The Rider's attention was attracted by a rattling sound. The second Ra'zac was putting a muzzle on Saphira's head and her whole body was chained.

"Strangely, your beast was willing to cooperate when we threatened to kill you." laughed the tall creature, searching inside the bags for anything interesting. It let out a surprised sound when it found Zar'roc. His companion approached and they clicked excitedly when they saw the glyph on the sheath. "Our master will be very pleased with thissssss."

When Brom began to stir, one of the Ra'zac took him by his shirt and thrusted him into the air. "The drug is wearing off."

"Give him more."

"Let's just kill him. We can say he resisted."

It began to drag Brom to the center of the camp and shove him on his knees when a voice interrupted him.

"HEY!"

Standing a few meters away was Alex. His face was bloodied, battered and his clothes had cuts in them. His hands were also bound in his back but it looked like he didn't care. He was smirking confidently.

"Since the moment I woke up, I had the time to give it some thought and I think, I really think you need to have your asses kicked harder. The lesson I taught you earlier wasn't enough? Did you forgot what I said? Both of you belong to me, you're my bitches. Since there's not any soldiers between us now, I can make you eat the dirt properly and with style."

The taller of the two monsters approached him and punched him in the right cheek. The swordsman stumbled back, a little disoriented but quickly regained his senses.

"Is that all? If that was your best shot, I don't imagine how weak Galbatorix must be." He said, before spitting the blood he had in his mouth.

Unfortunately, this last comment earned him another punch and a kick in the stomach when he fell to the ground.

"You should be happy our master want you alive or we would have killed you on the spot."

"Too bad, I'm not going to follow you so easily."

They decided to ignore him and resumed what they were doing. The small Ra'zac yanked the storyteller's head back and put a dagger against his throat. But suddenly, the creature yelled in pain because of an arrow in his shoulder. A series of them rained down on the two murderers who took cover behind some boulders. There was a short pause and then, they appeared in the opposite direction.

The Ra'zac began to leave the camp, not before hurling a dagger in direction of the farmer. Seeing this, Alex's eyes widened and he finished to cut his ropes with his pocket knife before rushing between the weapon and Eragon. To his and Eragon's horror, Brom beat him to it and took the blow before landing roughly, his head falling limply.

Red dots invaded the Rider's vision and he blacked out once more.

* * *

Each time Eragon breathed, he feel like he was agonizing. The pain in his side made it difficult for him to have coherent thoughts or be aware of the things around him. At one moment, it went worse but it quickly calmed down. When he opened his eyes, the rider could see a campfire less than two meters away. He could think without any problem now, meaning that the drug had worn off and he could communicate again with his dragon: _«Saphira, are you hurt? »_

_«No, I'm fine but you three are. Alex tended to your injury and Brom's. »_

_«What about his? »_

_She snorted. __«He would have taken care of it if they were dangerous for his health but…I think his pride and confidence took a blow too. I tried to talk to him but he didn't say a word since Brom protected you from this dagger. »_

Eragon sat directly on the ground, his back pressing against Saphira's side and face to a young man who sat on the far side of the fire. Alex was on his left, his eyes glued to the fire but also glancing in direction the storyteller from time to time.

"Who are you?"

The stranger, who was almost as old as Alex and wearing battered clothes, looked at him with a neutral expression, his hand tightening the grip on his bow. "Murtagh. And before you ask why I helped you… let's say you aren't the only enemies of the Ra'zac." He answered in a controlled voice.

"I see."

There was a long moment where no one said anything until, eventually, it was broken by a hoarse voice.

"I wrapped your broken ribs with soaked strips, you're not hacking up blood so that's a good thing." Eragon and Murtagh turned their heads in the swordsman's direction.

"And for Brom, I pulled out the dagger, applied a first aid spray to disinfect and cicatrize the wound. I also gave him a painkiller to reduce the intensity of an eventual fever. He's in a stable condition but for how long, I don't know. We should move before those bastards decide to come back with their parents."

"How are we going to transport Brom?"

Alex sighed and stood up. "Saphira will do it. A makeshift litter will be enough to carry him around."

One hot soup later, they readied the horses and put Brom on the litter. The blue dragoness took flight a few seconds after this. Alex helped Eragon to hoist himself on Cadoc before mounting Snowfire.

"Where will you go now? Do you know a place where you can stay low for some time?"

"No."

"In that case, I'm coming with you. It's obvious you need help. Don't deny it."

"He's right, Eragon," began the other adolescent. "You and Brom are injured. In the possibility we run into a patrol, I wouldn't be able to protect all of you effectively or use myself as a bait again."

Eragon hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, join us if it's your wish."

The dark-brown haired man mounted his own horse and followed them in the darkness, riding away from the camp. They continued until dawn, when Saphira told them she needed rest. She found a cave big enough for all of them and the horses too and guided the trio to it. Immediately, Alex walked to the storyteller's side and watched how he was faring.

Unfortunately, his condition was unchanged and there was no external sign it's improving or worsening.

Alex hated that.

He hated being powerless like this. Sure, he did his best by treating the wound with his modern equipment but there was nagging feeling in the back of his mind and he didn't like it at all. _«Something bad is coming. »_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

_«…Up. »_

There was a moment of silence until the voice spoke again.

_« Wake up! »_

Suddenly, Eragon felt pain in his right cheek and immediately sat up because of this.

"Don't blame me, it's Alex who told me to slap you. There's something's wrong with Brom." replied Murtagh.

The swordsman was restraining the old man who was thrashing on the ground. The Rider rushed to his side and helped him until the convulsions ceased. Despite the medicine Alex gave him, he had a fierce fever and his breathing was labored.

His hand shot up and grabbed Eragon's shoulder. "The wineskin! I need it!" Obeying Brom's orders, he took it from the backpack and washed the old man's right hand. The farmer let out a surprised gasp when he saw a Gedwaÿ Ignasia appearing.

"But, why? Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's in the past, there was no need to reveal you everything, not until now. A long time ago, I was a Rider. My dragon, Saphira, was killed during the battle of Doru Araeba. I had a friend, Morzan, before he became a Foresworn and betrayed us to Galbatorix."

"I still grieve for my beloved Saphira… and damn Galbatorix for what he tore away from me." He looked into Eragon's eyes and spoke his next words with determination. "Don't ever let that happen to you. Life isn't worth living for without her."

"Nothing's gonna happen to her, don't worry."

"Maybe I'm losing my mind but will…will you take my blessing?" The farmer nodded and lowered his head. "In that case, I give it to you. May you find happiness for the rest of your life." He also whispered a few words in ancient language and their meaning. "That's the best I can give you, use them only when there's no other option."

"Alex, come here please."

The gray-haired adolescent, who was silent until now, walked to his side and kneeled down. His eyes were red, tears threatening to appear.

"Don't do this Brom." he croaked, barely able to restrain himself from breaking down right here, right now. "Don't leave us. Don't leave me with the fact I wasn't able to save another life."

The storyteller chuckled. "Sorry but I don't think I can do this. You alleviated a lot of pain but I know my end is coming. However, I want you to promise me something… take care of them, protect them until they can do it themselves. Those two need someone to watch their back, they're still children after all."

The swordsman couldn't help but smile. "Yea… I'll do it old man."

"Good, good." He coughed a few times. "You know, even if we didn't liked each other at the beginning, you're a great boy. I'm sure you'll find peace in your heart… maybe love, who know."

"Thank you." whispered Alex, a sad smile on his lips.

Brom turned his eyes to the ceiling. "And now, for the greatest journey of all."

Hours passed as they all watched the old Rider slipping away. During the evening, his body stiffed and as a last gesture, he brought his hand to Eragon's cheek.

The moment after, he was gone.

"Brom? No… Nonononono." Alex began to apply CPR on him, tears falling without any restrain on his face. Flashbacks of Robert's last moments and death invaded his mind and sent him into a panic. "Come on Brom, you can't do this! Wake up! Stop joking, it's not funny anymore."

Eragon gripped his arm to stop him.

"It's useless Alex, he's gone."

The swordsman ignored him and continued a few times before rushing to his backpack and putting out something from his first aid kit. It was a syringe and a small bottle with a transparent liquid.

"If I can't save him with this adrenaline shot, nothing will."

He filled the syringe with the liquid, planted it where the heart was and injected the shot. Alex pulled out the needle and waited. After a few seconds without any reaction, he stood up, threw the shot away and punched the nearest wall with all his strength.

"Dammit!" he yelled.

Before the other three could move or say anything, the adolescent rushed out of the cave, sobbing loudly.

_« I'm taking care of him, go bury Brom. »_

Saphira quickly left too, following him by his scent.

Eragon and Murtagh climbed to the top of the mountain, the Rider used magic to create a grave and placed his mentor inside with his belonging. Eragon watched his serene face for one last time before the rock covered him from the outside world. Then, he wrote something in the stone:

Here Lies Brom

Dragon Rider and Good Man

He was like a Father to me

His name shall live on in Glory

"Was it Brom…the Brom? The one who was at the origin of the fall of the Foresworns and helped the Varden compromise some of Galbatorix's plans?"

Still contemplating the tomb, Eragon nodded. "Yes. It was him."

It was an easy task for Saphira to follow the young man. He didn't bother to cover his scent. And after what happened, it wasn't the first thing he had in mind right now. She knew she had to be at her Rider's side to support him in a moment like this but she also had to convince the swordsman to go back at the cave with her. He had to understand it would be better for him to mourn Brom's death in their company rather than alone.

Finally, after a few minutes of walking, she emerged from the forest and found him near a small lake, his icy blue eyes admiring the water and the reflection of the full moon in silence.

The two of them didn't say a word for what seemed a long time. The blue lizard knew how his mind was working now and she patiently waited until the moment he decided it was good to open his shell and talk.

"It's the third time a tragedy like that happen. First my friend Robert, then Garrow and now Brom. I couldn't save Eragon's uncle because of my injuries from the Ra'zac but damn, it's Brom we're talking about! What use I have if I can't save those around me?"

_« You tried your best, you shouldn't blame yourself for this. He knew his time was coming. He said it himself in the message he left for Eragon.»_

"I know but it don't make me feel less guilty. I may be a simple human without fancy magic but I have technology, I can heal or take care of an injury better than all the healers of this world and still… I couldn't save someone from dying of an internal bleeding. I feel like I'm useless."

Alex turned toward her and when their eyes met, he could feel the sympathy and compassion emanating from her. He walked to her and put his head on her chest before his legs gave out, too weak to support him. The moment after, he cried and sobbed uncontrollably, tears falling without restrain. The dragoness put her muzzle on his head, closed her eyes and whispered words of support and comfort in his mind. A soft purr could be heard coming from her throat.

They stayed like that for half an hour. Slowly, his body stopped trembling and his breathing calmed down. Despite the fact they had to go back to the camp, Alex didn't want to leave the warmth produced by Saphira's inner fire. With a grunt, he released his grip on chest and stood up.

"Saphira, I…thank you for being here. I needed it."

She winked at him and licked his cheek.

_«We should go back before the others worry. We've been absent long enough. »_

Eragon and Murtagh were sleeping peacefully when the duo came back. Without a word, both of them also went to bed, expecting this nightmare to end and wake up the next morning with Brom sitting in front a fire and preparing breakfast.

But they knew it would never happen again.

It was the smell of food which woke up Alex. Murtagh, Eragon and Saphira were eating silently, too lost in their own thoughts. The swordsman took a small cereal bar from his backpack and made it disappear in his mouth in matter of seconds before standing up and equipping all his weapons on him.

"I think we should leave this place as fast as possible. Galbatorix will know why the Ra'zac didn't bring us back to Urû'baen with them and he's not going to be happy about this. The guards will be looking for us everywhere."

"He's right." replied Murtagh. "And that's why I volunteer to travel with you. You'll need another pair of hands."

"But-"

"Eragon, even if I hate to admit it, I'm not at my top condition right now. That Ra'zac know how to land a blow and it'll take a week or two for my injuries to heal. The fight in the cathedral left me with some nasty cuts and bruises."

The farmer sighed and decided to accept the help. If Murtagh couldn't be trusted, Saphira would be delighted to chase him away.

_«Brom told me there was someone in Gil'ead who could help us find the Varden. »_

_"__To the North, heh? It'll take us some time to reach the city, maybe enough to heal properly. In that case, let's go."_

_In the absence of Brom, Alex thought it would be the best if he was the one to take the initiative and lead the group. The storyteller gave him a mission and he's going to accomplish it, no matter what. They readied the horses and after a final gift from the blue dragoness, the small group left the caves, toward their next destination._

Due to Eragon's broken ribs, the four of them were moving slower than anticipated but it didn't matter much. Even if it was as far north as Carvahall, they weren't in a hurry.

Alex refused to share his true origin and purpose in Alagaësia with Murtagh, not trusting him about this kind of information. The farmer was also kept in the dark but for a completely different reason. He didn't need to know about this, he had other things to think about. As days passed, a friendship between the three boys blossomed even if the swordsman was a little suspicious of the newest addition in the team.

Eragon didn't dream of the mysterious woman anymore and each time he tried to scry her, he was met with an empty cell. Since more and more posters of them appeared in each town they went, Alex thought it would be a good idea if he stopped shaving. It took them a few, difficult, days to bypass the capital of the Empire. Then, they took the best road to reach their destination: follow the Ramr River.

When the day he turned sixteen arrived, Eragon didn't mention it but was surprised when the man wit icy-blue eyes cooked his favorite meal that night: rabbit stew with potatoes. He even added a few ingredients he had in his backpack to give it a better taste.

Soon, Eragon's ribs were healed, meaning he could train with his sword again without any risk for his health. He even asked Murtagh if he wanted to spar with him. The latter accepted without a second thought. Now, the three adolescents were sparring against each other, the Rider and the swordsman learned a few things from Murtagh and same for him.

However, nor Murtagh or Eragon was able to best Alex, even when they were working together. Fortunately, their pride was intact because the man with grey hair didn't beat them by much.

One month. It took them a full month to reach Gil'ead. The city was a little away from them but they could clearly see its layout.

"We should camp a few leagues away and decide what will be the plan for tomorrow." declared Alex, observing the fortress in the center of the city.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"So, how do we proceed? Our contact have to see my Gedwaÿ Ignasia as a proof I'm a Rider so it'll be best if we disguise ourselves and meet him in person." proposed Eragon.

"With posters of us everywhere, we'll be found in no time, especially in place like this one. Murtagh, do you have a better idea?"

The latter looked at the swordsman with a smile. "I have. I go inside alone, talk with your contact and ask him to meet us outside of the city tomorrow. The Empire want you more than me, I'm not a priority to them for now."

Alex clasped his hands and rubbed them together. "In that case, it is settled. We'll wait for you with a hot meal."

Murtagh nodded and rode in direction of the city.

Hours passed by as the trio waited patiently. Alex looked at the entrance of Gil'ead from time to time with his binoculars until he saw someone leaving in hurry and riding at a fast pace in their direction. He quickly recognized Murtagh but something was wrong if he was riding at this speed.

"Eragon, be ready to pack our things when I tell you to."

The third young man then entered the camp, jumped from his saddle and drew out his sword.

"Did you see someone following me?" he asked, his face turning into a scowl.

"Nope. There was no one who left the town after you. Why?"

"I had the infortune to find myself face to face with someone who might know who I am. I had to flee the city before he could alert anyone but thankfully, it was after meeting our contact who agreed to meet us at sunrise, not far from here."

"Great. Now, we have to wish they're not going to send someone to follow your trail." replied Alex, sarcastically. "If it's the case, we're dead meat and we can say goodbye to the Varden."

_«Don't think like that, be a little positive. »_

"Saphira, I know we have a chance to find them but we can't exclude the fact there's a possibility something bad happen."

_«Maybe. »_

After this, they decided to go to bed early.

The young Rider was the first to wake up in the middle of the night, he walked to Murtagh and Alex and woke them up. He put a finger to his lips as a way to tell them to stay quiet.

"I don't know why but it's too quiet and Saphira smelled horses nearby. There's something wrong." he whispered to the other two.

Alex quietly put his gear on and withdrew his assault rifle.

"Whoever you are, we know you're here so show yourselves!"

They heard the sound of rustling leaves and a group of Urgals appeared, surrounding the four of them. A tall man with pale skin and blood-red hair was also here, smirking.

"The three most wanted people in Alagaësia delivered to me on a silver plate. It's not every day something like this happens."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Just who the heck are you?"

"My name don't have any importance. You are my prisoners and you're going to follow me to the city, wherever you like it or not."

A bright flash appeared, quickly followed by the sound of thunder and an Urgal fell to the ground, lifelessly. Blood gushed out of a hole in the middle of his head.

"I think you have your answer. I don't like having someone ordering me around, especially a freak like you so go fornicate yourself."

The young man rushed to the fiend, stopped less than two meters away, did a 360 on himself and gave a roundhouse kick aimed to the head. The red-eyed man stopped the blow with his palm. Before Alex could do anything, he saw a blur coming at him, followed by a sharp pain in the neck and then, darkness.

* * *

"Sonavabitch." croaked the man with grey hair, feeling a dull pain in the back of his head.

It took him a few moments but Alex finally stood up from his improvised bed on the ground and decided to observe his actual environment.

He was in a cell. That, was deduced pretty simply by the iron door on one side, a window with bars on the other, a cot and a bucket for personal business. The young man felt a little dizzy and couldn't remember a single word from the Ancient Language which mean one thing: they drugged him. Again.

But for now, the most important question was: in which city was he?

The swordsman shook his head and blinked a few times as a method to wake up completely and grunted. "One-hundred chance I'm in Gil'ead, it's the closest city from our camp."

From his window, he could see a street filled with people and a rampart, not too far.

"Yep. Gil'ead confirmed. I have to escape from this room, find the others and leave."

The sound of metal against stone caught his attention and he walked to the door, curious to know who was doing all this noise. A long column of soldiers was walking by his cell, until there was a hole in the formation. An unconscious woman was carried by two of the guards. She had black hair, was wearing dark leather pants and shirt and knee high boots.

_«Who is this girl to have so much soldiers around her? She doesn't look dangerous. »_

At the second Alex saw her ears, his eyes widened and he understood the situation.

_«An elf. Well, that change everything and answer my question at the same time. What is eluding me is: how was she captured by the Empire? From what Brom told me, they were hiding in Du Weldenvarden and the only one who often left this place was their ambassador. Is it her? »_

When the column of soldiers disappeared from his sight, the same tall man from last time was here. He looked into Alex's eyes and smiled, revealing pointed teeth.

The young man frowned._ «So this is what a Shade looks like…ugly. I really have to escape and soon. »_

During the next hours, he walked in circle in his cell, trying to come up with one or several plans to leave Gil'ead discreetly, without alerting the guards. At one moment, a jailor entered and put a tray of food on the ground. Smelling a rancid perfume coming from the food and water, he deduced it was full of drug but shrugged and ate the stale bread. Since Alex couldn't use magic, he didn't care about it.

The sound of two voices talking in front of his door woke Alex up from his nap. He raised an eyebrow when the red-haired man entered his cell and stopped in the middle of the room.

"Your reputation precedes you. The King want you alive and without a single scratch on you. The Ra'zac think you're a dangerous man and I tend to agree. Two blades, one knife and not less than seven weapons from another world. It looks like you're going to war."

The swordsman quickly stood up, smirking. "Maybe I am. But after what they did to me, anyone would have done the same. And I'll crush anyone who would try to stand on my way. Even a Shade."

"You're a fool to think you stand a chance." replied the man, so sure of himself.

"If Galbatorix ordered to bring me to him as soon as possible, doesn't it mean I'm a more dangerous threat than you think? One only he can take care of? So be careful to not underestimate me."

The Shade's grin widened. "We'll see about that. See you later for your transfer to Urû'baen."

It was on this words the man departed but at the moment he stepped outside, the swordsman talked. "I'm going to give you one chance, let me leave this place tomorrow with my weapons, the Rider and the elf if you don't want to find this fortress covered in blood. You have 24 hours to decide. Oh, and it's useless to drug me, I can't use your petty magic."

He refused to answer the provocation and walked away, leaving the jailor lock the door behind him.

_«Operation 'Leave this hole called a city' has officially begun. »_

Alex had waited until the day was over to act. He looked through the window of the door and didn't saw a single guard. This was the perfect moment. He lifted the right part of his jeans which covered his leg and unsheathed a pocket knife tied to his calf. The young man put it in the lock and began to move it around to find the unlocked position. There was a faint click and the door opened. Putting his hand at the same place, Alex withdrew a black Walter PPK from its holster.

He stepped outside of his cell, walking as quietly as possible. The adolescent checked all the others rooms but didn't found his friend. Sounds of pain and heavy things dropping to the ground echoed not far from his position. Immediately, he rushed to where it was coming from before stopping in front of a bearded man and Eragon.

Alex raised his right arm and pointed the handgun to the man's heart.

"Wait, it's Murtagh!"

The young man didn't move but this time, he aimed at Murtagh's head. "Get down!"

The other adolescent obeyed and the second after, there was a thundering sound and the body of a soldier fell to the ground.

"Phew, that was close. Come on, let's get out of here."

"There's an elf in this jail, we have to rescue her!"

Murtagh growled but followed the Rider to the cell containing the elf. "We should leave while we can, all the guards stationed here will come to investigate where that sound was coming from."

The trio quickly entered the room and found themselves face-to-face with the woman. They all looked at each other for a few moments before she collapsed. Eragon caught her in time. Since the farmer was too weak for this, Murtagh decided to carry her all by himself and handed Eragon a dagger. At the end of the hall, they reached a staircase and decided to climb to the upper floor.

They arrived in a dining hall and went under a table.

Eragon turned to Murtagh, curious and worried at the same time. "I suppose you have a plan to get out."

"Of course." answered the other boy. "We wait."

"We have to retrieve our weapons. Eragon, stay here with the elf. Murtagh, come with me, I'll need your arms."

"Lead the way."

The two adolescents stood up and walked out of the room, trying to find the armory. They came back a few minutes later, their arms full with guns, swords and a bow.

Alex put his gear on him while Murtagh handed Zar'roc to the Rider. "We have to leave now; there's a Shade here."

Murtagh paled. "Saphira must come right now. We can't stay here." The temperature in the room slightly dropped when they heard a chuckle coming from behind them. The Shade had a pale sword in the hand with a long scratch on the side of the blade.

"Eragon, I'm letting you test him. You know what to do."

The Shade was the first to begin the assault. Eragon blocked the hit but not without some difficulties. He grabbed his sword with both hands and retaliated. The swordsman was on the side, observing intensively the fight while the third young man tried to find a way out for them.

_«This bastard is playing with him! He just want to know what Eragon is capable of and can overpower him very easily. »_

Alex decided that now was a good time to intervene.

"Eragon, switch!"

The farmer jumped back while his friend rushed in the fight, unsheathing his katana and his broadsword. Sparks erupted from the contact between his swords and the Shade's blade. They exchanged blows, ignoring the ceiling crumbling above them.

Beads of sweat appeared on Alex's forehead, his arms grew heavier and his breathing became loud. The man with red eyes was stronger than expected but the adolescent could keep him at bay. The question was: for how long?

Suddenly, he was kicked in the stomach and pushed back to the others. The swordsman rolled a few times before stopping and ran back at his foe.

"Now I understand why the King wants you alive. You have potential, maybe enough to be the next Rider, even if you're not from here. He'll find a way to make you swear allegiance to him!"

"I'll never join an idiot like him! The Empire can rot in hell for all I care!"

Alex took his Desert Eagle from its holster and fired in the Shade's head. Slowly, his skin turned gray and the moment after, an eerie mist stood in his place.

"Good riddance."

Saphira ripped off what was remaining of the roof and jumped in the middle of the room. After a hug from her rider, she widened her eyes in surprise when she saw the woman. But now, there was a problem. A serious one.

_«I can't carry four people to the camp, I'm sorry. »_

"So," began Murtagh. "One of us has to stay behind and sacrifice himself for the others. Great."

"Okay, I have thirty bullets for the rifle, eight shells in the shotgun, one magazine for the Desert Eagle, three grenades, two swords and two knifes. If I'm lucky, I can get out of here without using all the ammo I have on me."

The others looked at Alex, with a dumbfounded look on their face. He walked to the middle of the room, facing the staircase and waiting for the soldiers to come.

_«So, you're going to do it again? Just like in Dras-Leona? » asked Saphira, her voice filled with…sadness?_

"Someone has to. You need time and a bait to escape from here, I fit the job perfectly. Now go, get your scaly ass out of here!"

With some reluctance, the blue dragoness used her powerful legs to propel herself in the air and flew in direction of the nearest forest.

"The Shade failed!" yelled a voice. "Go in and capture them!"

A group of twenty guards, more or less, entered the dining room, finding themselves in front of a single man with grey hair. The swordsman observed them with his icy-blue eyes, smirking.

"You know, at first, I wanted to come in this world in peace. But now that I saw what the Empire is capable of, I don't want to be nice with you anymore. If you're searching for the rider and his dragon, too bad, they've already left."

Alex took his Mossberg 500 out of its holster and held it with both hands. His smile widened as he waited for the massacre to begin. He was in his element right now and nothing could spoil his fun.

"Sooooooooooo, who's first?"

They all unsheathed their swords, yelled and ran at him.

"Pff, idiots."

The young man aimed at them, waited, waited and pulled the trigger at the moment he thought was perfect. Four of them fell to the ground, with bleeding holes in their chests. Alex thanked his brilliant brain for having the idea to use piercing bullet instead of the classical 12 gauge.

_«And to say they used this against the bulletproof vest of the cops. They sure are powerful and dangerous to use. »_

The others soldiers remained unaffected by the loss of four of their comrades and continued to charge the enemy.

More gunshot coming from the room echoed in the fortress, followed by the sound of blades clashing and shouts of pain.

* * *

Saphira arrived in a clearing, and landed quite heavily on the ground. Eragon and Murtagh dismounted her and ran to the horses, but not before putting the woman on Cadoc. They were going to leave when the big lizard turned her head to the city. Her instincts were telling her to go back there, she couldn't abandon him. Not after all he did for them.

_«I have to go back. »_

Eragon's eyes widened._ «What? Saphira, you can't! We're going to be captured again if you do that. Be reasonable. »_

_«I am. Don't worry, little one. We'll join you later. »_

Without another word, she left them. Determined to do what she thought was the best thing.

"What is she doing?!" Murtagh grabbed Eragon's arm and pointed to Saphira. "Is she crazy?"

The farmer ignored him and jumped on Snowfire.

"Come on, let's go before they decide to chase us!"

The two adolescents ran in the dark, to the South. Eragon hoped his dragoness and his friend would catch up with them soon.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**white seprent &amp; Datarus Finnigun : well, I'm glad to know you like my story and it's motivating to work on new chapters ^^**

**Datarus Finnigun : I'm going to quote your review and ask you a question because I'm curious: "**keep going, this is interesting, specially if you're gonna do what i think you will." **I'd like to know what you think I'm going to do and if what you think concern the relation between Saphira &amp; Alex.**

His plan didn't go as well as he thought. He managed to get out of the fortress without a lot of difficulties but now…to put it simply, he was surrounded from everywhere. Archers, spearmen and swordsmen, the soldiers of the Empire were all around him, waiting for Alex to surrender.

The latter was standing with one knee and one foot on the ground, his face and body had small bleeding cuts and a trail of blood was following him. His breathing was ragged and his arms were sore. But he was still smiling stupidly, like a boy who received his favorite toy for Christmas. He did a few movements with his head and they all heard a few cracks coming from it.

"Well, I'm not going to wait all day!"

One of them had the bright idea to take the bait and rushed at him. The swordsman jumped to the soldier, his katana went through the guard's neck and he fired at another's head with his Deagle.

At this moment, all hell broke loose. A few archers launched their arrows but Alex used the nearest corpse to protect himself. Those who tried to approach him fell to the ground without one of their hands, or headless or had a hole in the skull. A lot of bodies were scattered around him and more were following.

Even if the young man was a great warrior, the fight was already lost for him. Saphira could see it clearly from her position and she was sure Alex knew it too but he didn't care. He was clearly outnumbered but would never go down without fighting until the very end.

The blue dragoness knew it was her moment to help the adolescent when one of the soldiers hit him on the face with the back of his sword. She dropped on a group of guards, crushing them at the same time and used her tail as a whip to create some space between her and her foes. Alex took this distraction as his opportunity to jump on her saddle.

"You're an incredibly stupid lizard, you know that, right?"

_«Yes but I'm not going to leave a friend behind if I can save him. »_

Saphira flexed her four legs and then, jumped in the air, also using her wings to gain height and leave Gil'ead. The swordsman took something from his belt and launched it in the troops. Less than five seconds later, there was an explosion. Arms, legs, hands and torsos went flying everywhere and the ground was stained with fresh blood. She decided to fly low and fast in the direction her rider took. After what happened, she wanted to join him as soon as possible.

"I could have killed them all if you didn't decide to interrupt the party."

Her eyes meet his and a grin grew on her draconic lips. _«You're too cocky for your own good. »_

"I know, I know. People tend to say that about me. I suppose we're going to regroup with Eragon and Murtagh soon?"

_«As much as I'd like to, no. We have to take care of your injuries or you'll bleed to death and I don't want to carry a dead body. »_

Saphira spotted a small river and landed softly near the water.

"Okay but for your information, I don't have anything to heal myself on me. All my equipment for this is in my backpack." replied the young man as his boots touched the ground. He took a small metallic bottle tied to his belt, opened it and swallowed two mouthfuls of water.

_«In that case, there's only one solution. Dragons can use their saliva to disinfect their wounds, I'm pretty sure it'll work on a human. »_

*PFFFFT*

Alex spat out his drink and coughed, his face completely red in embarrassment.

"Pardon? I don't think I heard you correctly. You want to heal me with your… tongue?"

_«Yes. »_

"How about no? How about I use the water in this river to clean my cuts?"

She growled menacingly_. __«Alex, stop putting your life on the line like this. Just because you think the others' safety is important doesn't mean you should neglect yourself. Now please, do as I say. »_

"Okay, okay. Sheesh, you sound like my ex. She meant well and loved me a lot but she was worried about my health all the time."

The young man removed his vest and t-shirt, shivering at the contact of his injuries with the ambient air.

_«Don't move, I'll be done in a few moments. »_

Her warm tongue passed over all his cuts, wiping off the fresh blood from the wounds. Alex hissed slightly, feeling a little sting because of the saliva and its effects. Then, the duo decided to take off and catch up with the other two. Finally, they found them rather quickly and followed them. When her feet touched the ground, Eragon walked to the dragoness and began to explain what happened. Apparently, he found out that the elf was tortured during her stay in Gil'ead because of the numerous bruises and cuts on her body. Fortunately, he healed all those that were life-threatening and covered the others with bandages.

In the end, the group decided to take the road again. The woman elf was strapped to Saphira's saddle while Alex was on Cadoc.

* * *

The three adolescents slowed down and stopped near a small cliff. Alex and Murtagh prepared the meal while Eragon was tending to the elf. They ate in total silence but at the moment their bowls were empty, Murtagh talked. "Unfortunately, we're not gaining any ground on those following us. If we don't find a solution, they'll be on us in a day or two."

It was on this words Eragon snapped. "So, what do we do? It's impossible for Saphira to carry us all if we leave the horses behind!"

"True but we can leave some weight behind and reach our goal faster. Murtagh, can Tornac ride without too much difficulties with two person on his back?"

"I think so, why? What do you have in mind?"

_«Alex, I know what you're going to do and I say no. It's a bad idea, you could be in danger, more than we are right now. »_

"I don't care if you like it or not Saphira, we don't have a lot of choices. You continue in direction of the Varden, directions that you can find inside the elf's head and I go solo, taking Cadoc and Snowfire with me. Those idiots will only follow where there's more horses or split their group in two. I'll sell Cadoc on the way and meet you three at the final destination, understood?"

The farmer looked at his friend, a scowl on his face.

"I refuse! You stayed behind to help us at Gil'ead, I don't want you to…"

He was abruptly stopped by a slap to the right cheek. The scowl was quickly replaced by pure shock.

"Do you think I like to stay away from you? Do you think I want to do this? No. I hate that but I have to!" yelled the young man, now angered because they were wasting precious time. "It is MY job to protect you, I promised Brom that I'll protect you with my life if I had to. Now, I want you to obey and do as I say, that's an order!"

Even if he wanted to protest, Eragon knew it was the best idea they had. It was the best thing to do.

"O-okay, I'll do it."

Alex patted him on the shoulder. "Listen, I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds but you have to understand that she's far more important than me. Now go in her head to find the information we need."

The rider walked to the woman, sat at her side and put a hand on her forehead. Then, he closed his eyes and furrowed his brows in concentration. After a few minutes, he fell on his back, breathing heavily. Eragon told what he learned with the others and it was decided to split here.

"First, I go to Furnost with the horses and then the Beors. One more thing, don't wait for me, I'll certainly be behind you. Saphira, I want you to take off with your paws in my direction, they'll think that the biggest part of the team went my way while the other decided to go on his own."

The dragoness put her nose in the crook of his neck, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

_«You shouldn't do this, it's the third time you use yourself as a distraction. You're exhausted, I can see it in your eyes and your injuries haven't completely healed yet. »_

"Maybe I do this because I'm used to play solo but don't worry for me." He whispered, chuckling and smiling warmly. "Everything will be just fine. I'll be back alive and in one piece. Come on, I have to go now. See you soon, Saphy."

_«Saphy? You have to bring me dinner first before doing this kind of things, you know? » _she joked, winking at him. _«But... please, be careful and come back to us unscathed. I don't want to see you in an worse state than what you already are right now. »_

The man with grey hair ignored her comment, blushing furiously, gave two bottle of water he had in his backpack to his friends and mounted Snowfire. He then took Cadoc's reins in one hand and rode to the South. The dragoness jumped in the air and followed him for a moment before changing her direction, now flying above the two adolescents. She didn't know why but her heart sank when she saw him riding away until he disappeared from her sight.

Meanwhile, her rider was experimenting to find a way to have water in the desert. He found one by pulling the water in the ground to the surface. After this, they decided to leave the camp and sleep on the saddle of their mount, under Saphira's watchful gaze.

* * *

For the first time since he stepped in Alagaësia, Alex was completely on his own. No storyteller, rider or dragon at his side. And boy, how good it felt to be alone, with only his thoughts as company.

But as he continued to ride, the taste of ash appeared in his mouth and felt as if something was missing but didn't know what. When he replayed in his mind what happened earlier with the blue lizard, his heartbeat quickened and blood rushed again to his cheeks.

_«What the heck is wrong with me? Giving her a nickname, just like I did with my ex before we got…together. Dammit! »_

He shook his head and concentrated again on the road in front of him. Alex pushed the horses to their limit from time to time and when he looked back, he was happy to see a long line of men on horses, holding a torch in their hand. It seems they were stupid enough to take the bait and follow his trail.

"Alright, now, all I have to do is to put some distance between me and them. Easy."

During the next hours, Alex had to dodge a lot of patrols. It seems that the news about their escape from Gil'ead has been shared pretty quickly. The young man fell into a few ambush on the road but quickly dispatched them, only leaving corpses and a lot of blood behind him. There was only one thing he dreaded: Urû'baen. If he was found near the city, there was a one-hundred chance for him to be captured and brought directly in front of the mad king. He wasn't ready to fight him, not now at least.

_«If those two only paused a few times and not for long, they should be near Bullridge right now. I hope everything will be fine. »_

When the sun let its place to the moon, the young man stopped near a few trees, a little away from the main road. The horses drank from a pond, not far from the camp and ate green, fresh grass while the swordsman engulfed another cereal bar in his mouth. Strangely, and despite how much he rode, he couldn't sleep. In truth, he was worried for his friends… _for her._

He let out a deep sigh, his body slightly trembling and a cold pit forming deep in his stomach. But finally, he closed his eyes and relaxed his body. A few minutes later, he was completely asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Alex crossed the Ramr, where the water only reached his calves and rode as fast as the horses could without risking to injure them. He passed along the tall hills on his left and when he reached another valley, the adolescent could see a dark line on his right with what looked like a castle and a few towers. He recognized it immediately as the capital of the Empire.

Fortunately, he was far enough to not be seen by the watchmen on the walls of the city.

It took him another couple of hours to reach the outskirts of Furnost. The first part of his plan was almost done; now, all he had to do is sell Cadoc to someone at a reasonable price and buy some food. The two guards at the entrance of the town let him in without a glance.

Here, almost all the houses were of the same height but there were a few exceptions, bigger than the others and certainly belonging to the nobles. Then, with the directions he received from a few persons, Alex arrived in front of the only stable of Furnost. A few minutes later, he left the place with only one horse and thirty crown in his pouch. He didn't like to part away with the mount after all that happened during the beginning of this adventure but he had to if he wanted to execute his idea perfectly.

"I think I earned a good night of sleep in a real bed and not on the ground." He said to himself, while he tied Snowfire to a pole, near the door of an Inn.

The man with grey hair took one of the best room available, put his gear in a corner and decided to take his dinner in the main room. The food was… good. Better than what he was used to since he arrived here but not as tasty as what his mother cooked back home. Just like in Dras-Leona, he refused to drink a single liquor, only satiating his thirst with water. When he came back to his chamber, Alex locked the door behind him and let the key in it.

With the room still plunged into darkness, he slowly walked to the only window and looked at the sky, admiring the moon in perfect silence. He didn't know why but he was anxious as if something bad happened or is going to happen, soon. Despite his ability to keep a straight face and his emotions hidden, Alex couldn't help but tremble again, just like last night.

All he could do for now is to go to sleep and wait for the new morning to come.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The Alagaësian sky was colored in cyan blue that day, void of any cloud. Cool air greeted Alex when he walked out of the Inn, equipped head to toe with his weapons and his bag on the back. He inhaled deeply, a serene smile on his lips and exhaled slowly. He didn't know why but today was going to be good day. The adolescent mounted Snowfire and slowly began to trot out of Furnost.

When he was a few meters away from the exit, a group of thirty soldiers, in complete armor and armed with blades, arrived and stood on his path, preventing him from leaving the town. The swordsman immediately stopped the horse and sighed.

"And me who thought it would be a day without having to use violence. Don't move Snow, I take care of it." Alex patted his mount and jumped off him before walking in direction of the group.

"Stop right there, criminal scum! We've been ordered to arrest you for your breakout of Gil'ead. Put your weapons to the ground and don't move."

One of the soldiers paled when he saw the two swords on Alex's back and rushed to the one who talked.

"Chief, it is him! The swordsman! The one who fought both of the Ra'zac, one battalion in Dras-Leona's church and decimated a tenth of the soldiers stationed at Gil'ead. Almost all the walls of the fortress were painted with fresh blood when he left the place. This is not a human!"

Alex unsheathed his combat knife and went into his fighting position.

"I can beat all of you with just this. Do you really want to try your chance?"

None of them moved a single finger, they were just looking at him and casting nervous glances between themselves. There were a few murmurs among the group, some of them were hesitating in fighting him. Unfortunately for them, their leader was determined to come back to his superiors with Alex alive or at least, his head.

"Charge!"

He was the only one who rushed at the young man. The latter smirked and waited the moment his opponent was on him to move. He caught the soldier's wrist, bent it in a unusual position, forcing him to drop his grip on his sword. Then, Alex kicked his legs, put a hand on his chest to help him land on his back before planting his knife in his foe's throat. All of this in ten seconds flat.

When the adolescent with grey hair stood up, he pointed randomly at one of the guards. "You, you're next."

He didn't need to do or say more to disperse them, making the group fall back in haste.

"Children these days don't need a lot to be frightened. I thought they would be a bigger threat than this." He shook his head and walked back to Snowfire. "At least, I don't waste my time and energy in a useless fight."

He then walked out of the town. The two men guarding the entrance observed him with fear, worried for their lives. Alex stopped his mount not far from them, looking far ahead and sighed loudly.

"Contrary to what you may think, I'm not a ruthless monster who kill any soldier of the Empire on sight. Just… for your sake and mine, don't stand in my way."

It was on this words he left Furnost and began to gallop to the East, riding with the Tüdosten Lake on his right. Even without pausing, it took Alex a good part of the day to reach the next part of his journey: The Hadarac Desert. The solid ground wasn't so hard anymore, replaced with sand, the temperature was warmer, making the ambient air dry. From his position to the horizon and everywhere around him, there was nothing but dunes. It made him feel even more alone… and isolated from everything. He stopped a few minutes to let Snowfire relax a little and give him some water.

After this, he continued for some time, even when the sun had left, using a compass and the stars to guide himself. However, the young man began to feel lightheaded and his eyes were slowly closing themselves, forcing him to stop for the night and sleep until dawn.

When he groggily woke up the next morning, Alex's head was pounding, as if he had drank too much alcohol just before going to bed. He knew it was because of the drastic change of air and atmospheric pressure. It would only be a matter of time before his body would adapt to those new conditions.

"We're at the beginning of the third day and if they don't reach the Varden tomorrow, at sunset… It's better if I focus on reaching them before it happen. Let's go!"

After riding for some time, the Beors finally appeared and very slowly grew in size as he approached them. Unfortunately, he still had a long way to go before reaching the point of rendez-vous with the others. The heat of the desert was slowly but surely draining his strength but not exhausting him enough to slow his pace. And this is not what was worrying him. The large group of Urgals he saw earlier that day was. To make things worse, they're marching in the same direction as him but they were ahead of the young man.

He didn't know why but his instincts were telling him that something wrong's coming. He followed them but kept his distance to stay low and not be spotted. Even in the dark they didn't stop to rest at all.

In the late afternoon of the next day, they entered the valley and Alex went in too, a few minutes after them.

* * *

Two days. They've been followed by the Kull; the elite of the Urgals for two, long days. Those creatures were better in everything than the ordinary Urgal and were made for one purpose: destroy everything that stood on their path.

Arya's state had worsened. Her breath was ragged and she had a powerful fever. Her skin was now pale and she was trembling. Eragon hoped she would stay alive until they reach the Varden to give her the antidote. Murtagh made it clear he refused to go to them and the farmer tried to reassure him as best as he could but without much success.

As asked of Alex, they didn't wait for him and raced to Lake Kosta-merna. The group wanted to find him at the waterfall, ready to help them to get out of this dangerous situation and repel the monsters following them.

Finally, after a few hours, the two adolescents and one dragon found themselves in front of a valley filled with water, now walking on pebbles. But they were completely alone, with no trace of their grey-haired friend. The passage on either side of the water was partially blocked because of the mountain wall. They took the lake's left side, their boots half on solid ground and half in the water. It took them a few minutes but the Urgals rushed out of the forest, splitting in two groups who began to advance on both side of the lake.

The blue dragoness took off, despite her Rider's orders to stay with him, and flew to the other shore. Even with her assault on them, the creatures pressed on. They retaliated by stabbing Saphira with their spears. Eragon followed the elf's instructions to the letter but nothing happened. He repeated it a few times but there was no answer.

Saphira jumped out of the water and over the duo to protect them from the arrows. Said arrows that were destroying her wings, soiling the ground with her warm blood.

"Eragon, we have to do something or all of those efforts will be for nothing!"

_«He's right! »_

At the moment Saphira whirled around to kill one of those Kull, a single spear was flying at her, aimed to her heart. Murtagh's and Eragon's eyes widened at this, knowing they couldn't do much to stop the projectile. The farmer opened his mouth, ready to use his magic to break the weapon in pieces. There was a sound, not unlike the thunder, that echoed in the whole valley. It was followed by the spear brutally stopping its course and dropping to the ground. Another detonation and this time, an Urgal fell, blood oozing from the back of his head.

The rider and his dragon immediately recognized this sound and smiled, relieved to know that backup was here.

More thundering sounds followed and more bodies were eating dirt, a hole in the throat, the skull or the chest. Standing on the shore, his assault rifle pointed to the foes, Alex had finally arrived. With a neutral and professional look, he slowly walked to the Urgals, killing one of them each time he took a step forward. The monsters rushed at him, desperately wanting to kill the troublemaker but they only met death. When his magazine was empty, the swordsman withdrew his two blades from their sheaths.

Hearing something strange coming from the waterfall, the Rider looked at it and saw the apparition of a tunnel almost entirely filled with archers. A man, with a war-axe in a hand, waved at them to come inside. After a few seconds of hesitation, the two fighters and dragoness entered the tunnel and immediately, the sound of swords clashing almost disappeared. They continued to walk until they reached a large room, full of armed soldiers and one bald man, observing them with a sinister look.

He didn't know why but Eragon didn't liked him at all.

* * *

The young man was slaughtering his enemies but not without some difficulties. Kull were far stronger than the normal Urgal but also tougher. Even his swords couldn't cut their skin easily. Since Gil'ead, it was the most challenging fight he had. And he loved every second of it. The adrenaline pumping his veins, the fear of doing a mistake that could cost him his life, it almost made him feel… alive.

Fortunately, the archers that appeared from the mysterious tunnel were only shooting their arrows at the creatures. Even with their help, it took Alex a good ten minutes to kill all the Urgals. The second it was over, he released his grip on his swords, leaned forward and put his hands on his haunches to catch his breath.

The fighters slowly approached him, their bows in their hands and ready to launch an arrow if there was any hostile gesture from the young man. Said adolescent who raised his left index as a sign to wait. "Gimme... a minute, those bastards weren't doing this just for fun. Whew, that was too close. At least, I only have to get a better stamina if I want to match them."

After putting back his blades on his back, Alex walked behind a tree and came back with Snowfire. Then, he followed the group inside the mountain and only stopped walking when he was in the large room, where everyone else was waiting for him. When he saw the tall bald man putting menacingly a dagger against Murtagh's throat, he withdraw the shotgun from its holster and aimed it at him. Immediately, they all took their weapons, ready to jump on the swordsman if he moved a single muscle.

"I suggest you to release him if you want to keep your face in one piece." The voice was cold, powerful and imposed respect at the same time. Saphira, Eragon and Murtagh were shocked to hear their friend talk with a tone like that.

"I will not until all of you are screened for deception. You have to answer a lot of question, especially after bringing Arya, the egg-courier."

Even if he wanted to use his last option later for another occasion, the situation was forcing Alex to spill the truth, well, half of it.

"Firstly, you saw how I took care of the Kull, I can do the same with you easily. Secondly, as an Ambassador, you can't do such things to me. And those three are under my wing, Brom the Rider said so himself before leaving this world so they benefit the same privileges as me."

"An Ambassador from where? The Surda? You're bluffing."

The adolescent with grey hair smirked. "Just think about it. Look at my clothes, look at all the strange things colored in black, brown and silver I have on me. Did you see how I killed the Urgals? Have you observed the small fire leaving the long, black thing I had in my hands? Which is actually hanging on my torso, by the way. Each time there's a detonation, one of those creatures fell to the ground, dying or already dead. Don't you think it's strange? Doesn't make you think I may be coming from over the sea, or maybe some other place? Who know?"

Alex's little speech put the bald man in a bad position. His duty was to protect the entrance of this place by searching in the mind of those who dared to come and at the same time, there was so much truth and questions in the young man's words.

"Fine, BUT I still have to go in the Rider's mind, to see if he's not one of Galbatorix's spies."

"In that case, I allow it. You may proceed."

The mage put a hand on Eragon's forehead and began to probe the inside of his mind, searching through his memories for anything suspicious. He had his eyes closed, his brows furrowed in concentration and let out a small grunt of pain from time to time. The others waited for what seemed like an eternity when he suddenly released the young boy. His legs grew weak and he almost collapsed to the side but was caught by the swordsman who smiled at him. The dwarf also helped him to gently sit on the ground, glaring the entire time at the mage.

He cursed in a strange language before continuing. "You went too far. It's clear he wasn't strong enough for something like this!"

"The Rider will live, don't worry about it." The bald man turned to Murtagh. "You're next."

"HEY!"

Alex took his katana from its place and put it under the mage's neck, a few millimeters away from his throat. All of this just before raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "I thought we had a deal."

"I've changed my mind, I think he's suspicious enough to be screened."

The dwarf cursed again, before jumping between the two. "That's enough, you promised him you wouldn't go in his head."

"How dare you question my orders. You were the one who badly wanted to open the gates for them and now this. Do you want to put us all at risk? This **Ambassador** with his strange "weapons" is a big danger enough. Ajihad will not like it at all and don't think you're not going to be punished for this."

The bald man turned to the little group of friends.

"In the meantime, you're going to stay here for the night. We'll bring you food."

Everyone left the room, excepted for the four travelers. They closed the door and put the lock on from the outside.

"And now… we wait." said Alex, talking to himself before sitting against a wall and letting out a tired sigh.


	14. Chapter 14

**melli : Yeah, they'll be together but not right now.**

**reptoholic &amp; bubbahcakes : thank you for your reviews, it gave me the motivation to continue and write this chapter even if I was procrastinating a lot x)**

**Chapter 14**

While healing Saphira's injuries, Eragon listened to Murtagh's tale with interest. The latter revealed a good part of his life and the reason why he didn't want to go to the Varden: he was Morzan's son, the first Foresworn and Galbatorix's right hand until he was killed by Brom a few years ago.

After this, the rider turned his head to Alex, his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"I think you owe us an explanation. Until now, I didn't ask you any question about you were or the weapons you had on you because Brom and Saphira trusted you but after tonight, I think I have the right to know… who are you?"

The grey haired young man looked at his friend, a little hurt by his words but kept a neutral look. Murtagh, even if he didn't show it, was also curious about this. "You're right Eragon. I've been keeping you in the dark for too long. Since the beginning of our journey, a bond was created between you and I, a bond that strengthened and became a friendship, thanks to everything we went through. As my friend, I can share some of my secrets but not all of them because… well, it's better if you don't know, especially if you're captured by Galbatorix. It's not that I didn't want to tell you before but you had more important things to think of, like your training. Yes, I'm an Ambassador from a very distant place. One that you couldn't imagine, even in your wildest dreams. If you want to hear the full story, you'll have to wait until we meet the Varden's leader. Not that I don't want to tell you but I hate repeating myself."

Eragon, now at full attention, wanted to extract more information from him but knowing the swordsman, it was useless.

He huffed. "Fine."

Saphira walked to the young man, her body slightly trembling. Saying she was happy to see him again was an understatement. She's overjoyed and couldn't restrain tears of happiness from appearing. But at the same time, she was still shocked to what happened earlier. She was supposed to be _dead_ or at least, heavily injured. Her whole life had appeared in front of her eyes a few moments before the spear dropped to the ground. It was the second time her life was on the line and the second time the swordsman was here at the right place, right moment.

_«Alex, you saved me… us again. »_

He looked into her sapphire eyes, admiring them and smiling softly.

"I did my job, nothing more, nothing less. The most important is that you three are alive and in one piece."

Suddenly, her draconic lips touched his right cheek and she let out a soft purr. Alex's body went completely rigid at this, not sure what to do, while his head's color changed from light pink to full red. _«Think of this as my way to say thank you. »_

Immediately after this, he looked at the ground and began mumbling incoherent things, his brain overheating from embarrassment. The blue dragoness laughed and comfortably settled between the two adolescents and closed her eyes, tired from the recent events.

Alex didn't know what to say or think. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest and this small gesture confirmed what he was fearing: he had fallen in love with the big, blue and fire-breathing lizard with wings. Did she know it and was toying with his feelings by doing this kind of move?

But Alex being Alex (which mean an idiot), he decided to do the sole thing that was logical for him: ignoring his feelings for her and only stay friend. Yes, Alex just friendzoned himself but it's for the best. He was just a human after all and she was a dragon. A beautiful one but a dragon nonetheless.

Yes, that was the best thing to do.

* * *

Saphira had a lot of difficulties to understand what was happening in her mind and heart. It was supposed to be a small, chaste kiss. A simple gesture. So, why did she felt so conflicted each time she was thinking about the young man? He was just a friend, right? On one side, she's happy to call him this but something inside her was asking for… more? True, the adolescent was strong, independent, selfless and was keeping them all together since Brom's death. He was acting seriously when it's necessary but he still had a soft spot on the inside. This is what made him so interesting in her eyes. And the part of mystery he kept even after he revealed his true origin and intentions to her, too.

It was on those thoughts she fell asleep.

The three youth quickly did the same, completely exhausted and finally, relieved to have reached their destination in time.

* * *

It was the sound of the door opening that woke them up.

The bald man was the first to appear in their sight, quickly followed by Orik. "Ajihad want to see you now. Follow us." The trio of adolescents did as they were told, walking behind the two men without a word. Saphira was right behind them and a group of soldiers surrounded them. A few minutes later, they found themselves in front of a city made of white marble. When they walked through the front doors, the crowd stepped aside while cheering. Finally, the group stopped in front of another door, made of wood. They all stayed outside except the bald man.

A man with dark skin, like ebony, was sitting at an oak desk, waiting for them.

"Greetings, I am Ajihad. Leader of the Varden. Welcome to the place where we coordinate the resistance against Galbatorix's rule and our home, Tronjheim. You should sit, we have some things to discuss."

Eragon and Murtagh obeyed while the third boy didn't. There was a sound of footstep hitting the ground and a man appeared from a corner of the room. He walked and stopped at Ajihad's side. He was an exact copy of the bald man. They all stayed silent except Alex who slightly growled at this.

One of the twin pointed at the swordsman. "It is him, the so-called **Ambassador**."

The dark-skinned man raised an eyebrow at this and looked at the swordsman, observing him.

"Is it true?"

"Yes." answered the young man.

"And… do you have any proof?"

He let out a small chuckle. "My clothes, weapons and I can also tell you how I arrived in Alagaësia and why."

"Very well." Ajihad then turned his head to the dark-haired man. "We accepted to let you enter into Farthen Dur because my spellcasters say they can neutralize you and in gratitude for your help saving Arya's life. However, I must ask you: will you let us search in your mind for anything suspicious?"

"No. And even if I do, you still wouldn't trust me."

"That voice. It's been a long time since I last heard it… _Murtagh_."

The Twins said they discovered his name inside Eragon's head but didn't know he was Morzan's son when Ajihad asked them if they knew his identity. In conclusion, for Murtagh's safety, he had to stay in a room away from the public's eye, and guarded all the time. He was escorted out of the room by a dozen guards.

"I want Eragon, Alex and Saphira to stay here, the others leave immediately."

They waited until everyone was out of the room to converse again.

"Soooooooo, you want to know who I am, why I'm here and how did I ended in Palancar's Valley? Alright, let's begin. I'm Alex Ethan Grey, nineteen years old. I come from Earth, a distant planet, far, far away from here. And this" He pulled out a small amulet with a small, rose crystal from around his neck. "is a crystal filled magic, energy and a spell. It can create a portal between worlds. This is how I landed in Alagaësia. Even Brom couldn't help me determine who created this. They used one of those things to go on Earth five years ago, maybe for reconnaissance, I will never know. The old man said it was technically impossible for me to walk on this ground but as you can see, I'm in this room with you right now. My objective here is simple: kill the Ra'zac to avenge my best friend's death. They were a little hungry and decided to use Robert as a snack and I watched them eating him without moving a single muscle, completely paralyzed in fear."

Eragon and Ajihad looked at him, mesmerized by his tale. Saphira was in the same state too, even if she already knew a large portion of his story.

"I decided to claim vengeance and trained during the following years until the day they decided to come back on my home world. We fought and I had the chance to stole this crystal from them during the fight but they had another one and used it to flee when the authorities arrived. One week later, after spending a good time healing, I was ready. I took anything I deemed necessary, I borrowed some weapons while 'promising' my government I would come here in peace. It lasted half an hour, just enough time to learn about what they did to Eragon's uncle."

"I see. This is an interesting story you have. I'd like to know if you're going to stay and help us fight the Empire or leave to track those monsters when you'll have enough rest?"

"I stay. I promised Brom I would protect those two until they're strong enough to watch each other's back or until the moment I kill the Ra'zac. After this, I leave this place for good."

At the moment she heard this, Saphira felt a deep pain in her chest, causing her to flinch and strong enough to be felt by her rider thanks to their link. He turned his head toward her, surprised by her reaction.

_«Is everything alright? » He asked, concern evident in his tone._

_«Yes. I think I'm fine, little one. It's just, when Alex said he would never come back here. I felt something strange in me, as if I didn't want him to leave. »_

_«Maybe it's because he's a very good friend and you'd like for him to stay with us. »_

_«Maybe. »_

Then, Eragon explained everything that happened since the beginning of their journey. Ajihad and him talked about what was the program for the next days. After what seemed an eternity, the leader called for Orik.

"All morning I had to listen to the Twins complaining about your attitude and that your actions shouldn't go unpunished."

"I know and I will take full responsibility for this. But if I didn't intervene, Eragon and his companions would have been killed by the Kull even with their friend's arrival. The Rider shouted the phrase at the waterfall but the Twins didn't do anything to help them. I couldn't let a Rider die."

"Why did you oppose them during the test?"

"Because one of the two promised me he wouldn't try to pry into Murtagh's mind if I let him do it on Eragon to prove our innocence." intervened Alex, his arms closed and his face emotionless. "He tried to break it and Orik took our defense."

"I understand. However, he went against an order from his superior. For something like this, the punishment is death. But, considering the reasons behind his actions, there will be no such thing. Orik, from now, you're not in active service anymore and you'll our guests' guide during their stay here. Understood?"

"Of course."

"In a few days, you'll take Eragon to the training grounds so he can be tested. I think there's nothing more to talk of, you can leave."

The three men and one dragon walked out of the room.

"So, what do we do now?" asked the young Rider, curious to know what was going to happen now.

"We take a bath because we stink, we eat and we sleep. That's the program for today. At least, mine."

"In that case, I think I'll do the same."

Orik grunted and motioned them to follow him. "I'll show you where the baths are. Don't worry, we'll give you a new set of clothes and wash yours."

Alex smiled.

"Okay, let's go because I really need to get rid of that smell and hot water sounds good, far better than washing myself in a stream."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The moment he stepped in the hot water, the effects on his body were immediate. His muscles relaxed and slowly stopped aching. Alex closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the wall. This mad race to save the elf's life was finally over. No more running away from the soldiers, no more ambush. For once, their objective was clear: rest, train, go to the elves, more training and then, kill the Ra'zac. At the moment, their little group was safe, away from the Empire. The young swordsman could now let his guard down a little and boy, did it felt good to know he could sleep peacefully. However, he was still wary of the Twins and his instinct was screaming at him that something was up with them… and because of this, he couldn't trust those two.

A sigh of contentment escaped his mouth.

Now, all he needed to do was eating until his stomach couldn't take anymore and fall asleep in a true bed, with a real pillow. Yeah, that was a good idea. Watering his head, Alex remarked his hair was longer than before, now reaching his shoulders. Maybe he could put it into a ponytail? Or cut it? Nah, he always wanted to try to have his hair long, just like his father so this was a good opportunity.

His thoughts drifted to the next, random topic his mind could think of.

_Saphira…_

How, why or when, he didn't know but what he was sure was that he had fallen in love with her, pretty hard too. Alex wanted to deny everything, to say it was a stupid crush and it would disappear over time but it would be lying to himself if he did this. In the other hand, if he told her how deep his feelings went for her, she would reject him immediately and it could cost them their friendship. Or at least, damage it pretty badly.

"What to do… what to do." he whispered, weighing all the options he had in hand. "Telling the truth, lying to myself or ignore it. The third choice is the best but what if the feeling is mutual? I know it's like asking for a miracle but… anyway, I'll see what'll happen next and act accordingly to it."

With a grunt, the adolescent decided not to dwell on this matter too much since it wasn't his forte and he had already made his decision. Half an hour later, he left the water, feeling completely refreshed and relaxed. A new set of clothes was waiting for him in the other room. Then, he walked out of the bathrooms, putting the last of his gear on him. Eragon and Orik were in the corridor, standing against a wall and talking. They stopped when the second adolescent arrived.

"Good. Now that you're both here, next stop: the kitchens."

The duo followed the dwarf until they reached a large piece where no less than twenty people were working on today's meal. The swordsman and the young rider sat at an empty table.

"I'll be back with your food soon, feel free to ask one of the cooks for something to drink or serve yourself." said Orik before walking away.

None of the boys talked for a few moments until Eragon broke the ice.

"I don't know what to think after what you said earlier. I know you're telling the truth and I trust you to not lie about something like that but to think you come from another world…"

"… it should be impossible, huh? I would have the same train of thought in your place but you and I know perfectly that my presence is a proof enough that it's possible. Saphira can attest to that since I showed her my memories."

"Yeah. Since we're talking about her… she's been very protective of you lately, and affectionate too. Since some time, she slowly began to act differently. She made you sleep with us, she was difficult to convince when we went on a separate way at Gil'ead and was worried for you during the last few days."

"Don't worry, I saw her change in behavior. She'll be back to her old self soon."

Eragon looked at him, slightly embarrassed and unsure of the words to use. "I don't think so. I mean, Saphira… had a strange reaction earlier when you said you wouldn't stay after the Ra'zac's death. She felt a deep pain in her chest, strong enough to be felt by me over our mental link."

_«Okay, it's official. I'm in deeper shit than I thought, she's too attached to me, even as a friend. »_

"Things like that happen." Alex sighed. Orik came back at this moment with two bowls full of meat and vegetables. "Thank you Orik. And after all the things we lived since our departure form Carvahall, I'm not surprised. She thinks of me as a close friend. Especially after saving her life two times."

"I owe you a lot for this, by the way."

The man with grey hair shook his head, chuckling and playfully punched his friend on the shoulder. He then, dived into his plate, eating quickly.

"You don't owe me a single thing. Brom asked me to keep an eye on you two. I'm just doing my job, nothing more, nothing less. Think of me as your protector… or guardian if you prefer."

The farmer nodded, then turned his head to the dwarf.

"I think I'll pass the test in two days and use tomorrow to recover as much strength as possible."

"Understood. I'll inform Ajihad about your decision. In the meantime, why don't I show you where you're going to sleep?"

The swordsman, who put his plate away, hummed in agreement. "I'm done with my food and a good night of sleep would be perfect."

"Already?"

"I wasn't that hungry."

When Eragon was done, they followed their guide wordlessly until their reached the end of a staircase and entered the dragonhold. There were at least ten caves, made of marble and with beds carved inside of them. Saphira was in the first on the right, with just her head visible. After thanking the short man, the two boys walked to her. Alex put his hand on Eragon's shoulder and with a smile, added. "Well, I think you already know where you're sleeping tonight. I think I'll take the cave right next to yours. Eragon, Saphira, I bid you goodnight and see you in a few hours."

Before Alex could walk less than two meters away, a blue and ivory blur snatched him from where he was and made him disappear inside the cave. The second after, Eragon heard him yelling.

"No. Bad, bad dragon! Don't touch my hair!"

When he jumped inside, the rider found it difficult to keep his snickers in check because of the sight in front of him. The dragoness was comfortably installed in the dais with his friend trapped on his stomach, under her paw. He tried to hit her on the snout to push her away but she was unfazed by this. She was licking, nipping and gnawing his grey hair.

"Eragon, could you be a dear and tell your crazy lizard to leave me the actual fuck alone!"

"Saphira please, do as he say."

The dragoness stopped, raised her head to look at her rider, growled and resumed what she was doing.

_«You have knots in your hair. »_

"I know and I was going to take care of it before you decided to do it yourself. But I appreciate the gesture. Now, I'd like to go in my cave so I can sleep in a bed."

_«Why don't you stay here? »_

"Maybe because the only place to sleep here is Eragon's bed buuuuuuuuuut it's too small for two young adults."

_«You could stay in the dais with me. »_

Alex blinked.

Once, then a few times. He replayed in his mind what she just said, hoping it was just his imagination who was tricking him. He even pinched himself on the cheek to be sure he wasn't dreaming. Saphira was proposing him to sleep against her side, like usual. It's shouldn't be different from before but in a way, it was. This time, it would be only him and her in the bed and this is what bothered him.

"How about no?"

She stopped her ministrations and released the adolescent who rolled aside.

_«To tell you the truth, I was scared when you left Gil'ead on your own. I feel like I HAVE to watch over you, like Eragon even if you're strong enough to do it on your own. But, as my friend, accept. It would put my mind and heart at peace to have you at my side, at least for tonight. »_

Her words left Alex completely speechless, he looked away with his best interpretation of the poker face. He knew they had a close friendship but never thought it'd be that deep. The young rider was observing the discussion silently, hoping the one he considered his best friend wouldn't say no.

_«Face it, idiot. » he thought to himself. «Even you wanted to stay distant with everyone, it was the others who came to you and you couldn't help yourself but become their friend. Brom, Eragon, Saphira and even Murtagh. »_

Sighing, Alex turned his head to the blue dragoness and gave her gentle smile. "No problem, I understand. But I advise you to move your scaly behind so I can have some room. Oh, and please, don't crush me in your sleep. Thank you very much."

After saying goodnight to the farmer, the swordsman put all his weapons not far from him and made himself comfortable against Saphira's flank, using his bag as a pillow and his jacket as a small blanket. He patted her side before turning away, closing his eyes. The big lizard looked at him for a few moments, happy that her… friend decided to stay with them. Just like the night before, when they reunited, her heart began beating a little faster and felt a knot forming in her stomach, even doing back-flips from time to time. She began to see him differently a little after he saved her life during the Urgal's ambush. After all, he brought food for them a few times, found good spots to use as a camp, was capable of protecting himself and those around him and was very mature for his age, maybe a little too much. Those were some of the qualities she liked about him.

He wasn't perfect, far from it, and his stubbornness to track the Ra'zac to the end of the world could attest to that. Confronted to these kind of feelings for the first time in her life, Saphira decided it would be best if she let things go at their own rhythm. Maybe everything would be back to normal in a few days. Secretly, she hoped it wouldn't and that she could understand the meaning of all of this.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry for the wait and "short' chapter I'm bringing you today. I didn't have a lot of motivation to write recently, which is why it took me that long to finish this. It's more of a filler chapter than anything else. The interesting stuff is coming in the next one: trials, Arya, Alex getting his ass kicked by said elf... (oops, I said too much)**

**Anyway, thank you for the reviews, favs and follows, it keep me determined to see the end of this story. Oh, there's also a little reference to Street Fighter near the end of the chapter, I love listening to the games' OST while writing the fighting scenes, some of my imagination come from it.**

**Good reading!**

**Chapter 16**

The next day, when the alarm on his watch went off, the swordsman woke up in a gasp, at 7:00 am sharp. Grunting, he pushed away the blue wing covering him and slowly stood up. Not without some difficulties, he managed to escape from Saphira's grip. Alex took a cereal bar from his backpack, drank a few sips of water and jumped out of the cavern, ready to begin his day.

After walking down the stairs leading to the dragonhold, he asked for directions and after a few minutes, Alex stopped in front of Tronjheim's library. He then walked inside, browsing through the aisles in search of any book or scroll that might be interesting in his eyes. The place was completely empty except for the librarian who was replacing a few books in their place. The young man suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on an edition of Domia abr Wyrda. He took it from the shelf, sat on the nearest chair and began to read it. When he had to close it at the end of his stay in Teirm, the book was explaining the war between the elves and the dragons.

Absorbed by the content of the book, Alex wasn't even aware of the time passing. It was the sound of his stomach growling that brought him back to the outside world. But he dismissed it, too captivated by what he was reading.

But, unfortunately, and before he could continue the current chapter, he was interrupted by someone clearing his throat. Looking up, Alex found himself face to face with the Twins. He sighed before resuming where he had stopped.

"What do you two want?"

"You're lying. You can't be an ambassador! The Surda don't need to send one and the elves have Arya. So, who are you truly?"

Alex sighed before closing the book and standing up, his face inches away from one of the magicians. His face showed absolutely no emotion and despite this, there was a dangerous tone in his voice. "Listen and listen carefully, I don't give a fuck about you two. I don't have to justify myself to anyone. You think I'm hiding something? Cool and you're right but don't think you're clean either. I know you're up to something. I don't have any proof and maybe I'll never have a single one but know that I'm watching you."

"We'll see about that… **Ambassador**."

The duo walked off, leaving the swordsman alone and quite irritated.

"If these idiots think they can boss me around, they're dead wrong. Me, intimidated by two petty magicians? Pfff, what a joke."

Not in the mood to read anymore, he put the book in its place and left the library. Shortly after, Alex arrived in the kitchens, took some bread and drank a few sips of water. Then, he walked to the training ground. There, he found a lot of men sparring, doing some jogs to warm-up or learning how to use a weapon. Alex walked to a huge man. He had an untidy beard and was rather muscular. He also wore a set of ox-hide armor and a very long two-handed sword was strapped in his back.

"Excuse me, sir?"

The man turned to him, a little surprised to be interrupted in his supervision of the current fight.

"What can I do for you, boy?"

"I'd like to have a sparring partner for some hand-to-hand combat. Someone like you or you would be nice. Is it possible?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have time for this." He replied, pointing to the group of soldiers. "I still have to teach some things to these guys before they can train themselves."

Alex smirked. "Trust me, if you accept, they'll learn a few things by the end of the match."

"Oh, really? You seem so sure of yourself, in that case, let's see what you can do. I know a lot of people here but it's the first time I see you. I am Fredric, may I have your name before we begin?"

"Alex. I arrived yesterday, in company of the Rider."

At the moment he said this, whispers could be heard from the group who had listened to the conversation.

"I recognize him!" exclaimed one of them. "It's the swordsman who practically annihilated the group of Kull by himself."

The others looked at their comrade in shock. It was true that they've heard a few rumors about yesterday's fight involving a lone fighter with two swords and the beasts but to see it confirmed in front of their eyes.

"Me who wanted to stay discreet about this… well, fuck."

The young man removed his jacket and shirt, leaving him topless, before taking his fighting stance, his fists and arms close to him and protecting his chest.

"Since you agreed to spare with me, I'm letting you have the first blow. Just one rule: we don't give any hit that may cause any permanent damage. Personally, I'll try my best to restrain myself."

The weapon master didn't say a word but nodded in acknowledgement before lunging forward, ready to deliver a direct to the face. Alex stepped to the side. His sparring partner continued to throw lefts, rights and a few uppercuts, the swordsman swatted them away with his forearms or kept guard up while walking backward. Despite this, he still felt the few hits that landed on his body and it was hurting a lot. Alex was forced to stay on the defensive since Fredric wasn't giving him time to give a single hit or even breath. _«He's strong and fast, this man could kill me without any problem if he wanted. Well, he gives me no choice, I have to find the first opening possible and strike back with THAT technique. »_

A few moments later, as Fredric was trying to strike him with a left hook, Alex seized his opportunity. He crouched low, tucked his fist to his side and then pushed up with his legs while driving his arm upward. The second it connected with the weapon master's jaw, he yelled:

"Shoryuken!"

His sparring partner stepped back, dazed and feeling a strong pain in his jaw. Alex didn't let him go that easily and followed with a heavy right to the cheek, two directs to the head, a knee stroke in the stomach and an uppercut.

Fredric was far from knocked out but had some difficulties to keep his fighting stance and his balance.

"That move, what was it? I've never seen something like that before."

"It's a fictional fighting art based on the mix of two martial arts: Karate and Kempo, with a bit of boxing I added to personalize it. It don't really exist but those who know about it call it Ansatsuken. There's only two of the three moves I can use but a magic user could learn the third."

"Anyway, it was a nice hit but we should stop here. It was a good warm up but I don't want to get my ass kicked in front of my students."

Alex shook his head, smiling.

"Nah, I don't think I would have won. Your blows were accurate and had a lot of strength in them. You were on the offensive all the time, I couldn't do anything but endure the hits, I had to use one of my secrets moves in order to have some room and counter-attack. At best, it would have ended in a draw or I win but not by much. I'm willing to admit a defeat when I'm confronted to one. You're a good fighter Fredric."

The swordsman presented his fist to him.

"Same about you." The weapon master bumped it with his own hand. "I heard what the patrols were saying about what you did yesterday and I'm impressed. It's good to have people like you on our side. I don't want to be the one standing against those two blades of yours."

"Thanks."

"But before you go, can I ask a favor?" asked Fredric, smiling.

"Sure." Alex raised an eyebrow, curious. "What do you want?"

"You can teach a few things to those soldiers? A few tips here and there. I'm sure they could learn something from a young man who know his way in hand-to-hand combat and journeyed through the country."

Alex blinked. Hard. Him? Playing the teacher? Some of those guys were older than him and probably knew more than him. He didn't know what he could bring to them but anyway, he couldn't back down since he agreed.

"O-okay but don't expect much."

The young man put himself in front of the group. They were in row, waiting patiently for the next order. Alex cleared his throat before beginning his talk, his voice taking a more authoritative and instructive tone.

"Soldiers, I don't know what your coach taught you when you began your training but when my masters took me under their wing, they engraved one thing in my head: Stay determined. Oh, and in battle, always keep your fighting stance. I stopped counting the number of times I had to do push-ups because I was forgetting this." Some of them laughed. "First, we'll do some basic movements and do the more complicated stuff a little later."

The group did some stretches, Alex doing it with them. Then, he slowly showed them a suite of moves with his left sword, ending it with a horizontal slash. He did it again but at full speed this time.

"This combo is usually used in a duel but it never hurt to know it for a full scale battle. Normally, we just hit and defend ourselves with our shields but surprising the enemy with this kind of attack is good."

After this, Alex spend two hours teaching them some other techniques and tips. He even fought those who volunteered in a sparring match, with their bare fists. He won some fights but also lost others. However, his win/lose ratio was positive so he was happy. Some of those fighters were showing talent, if they survived, maybe they would reach a higher rank.

Finally, the young man decided to let their main training resume. The guys thanked him for the lesson and the matches, he bid them goodbye and walked away, his body sore and making strange cracking noises from all of this.

"As much as I want to say I'm too old for this bullshit, it would be lying."

The swordsman arrived in the dragonhold, greeted Saphira and Solembum with a "What's up?" before throwing himself in the dais, rolling in a fetus position and dozing off. The blue dragoness looked at the scene with a small smile and a strange glint in her eyes. Solembum noticed this and smirked, knowing exactly why she was looking at him that way but said nothing.

The moment after, they resumed their conversation as if nothing happened.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"So Eragon, ready for your test?" asked Alex, while putting his shoes on.

The young Rider nodded, hanging Zar'roc to his left hip. "Yes but I'm anxious. I don't know what to expect."

"I'm sure they just want to know what you're capable of. Be it with magic or a sword. We'll be there with Saphira as a moral support or if things go wrong."

Alex strapped both of his swords on his back but let his firearms in the cave, knowing he didn't need them where they were going.

"How was your sleep? You were completely out when I came back and snoring a little."

"My little sparring match tired me more than I thought it would do but that's worth it. Be careful of Fredric, despite his height, he's really fast. There's a reason he's the one who train the soldiers."

"I'll remember it for the fight."

When the two adolescents were ready and after a very small breakfast, they both climbed on Saphira's back before leaving the dragonhold in direction of the training ground.

Fredric was patiently waiting for them to arrive. When the duo dismounted the dragoness, Alex walked to him and shook his hand, smiling.

"Not too sore from yesterday?"

The large man shrugged. "A little, and you?"

"More than you, I think. I slept the whole afternoon and night, only to wake up one hour ago."

"I see." he laughed, before turning to look at Eragon. "Hello, Rider Eragon. I'm Fredric, weapons master for the Varden and your opponent in today's swordfight. I'm eager to know what you're capable of."

"Greeting Fredric. Alex told me to be wary of you because you're a strong fighter and I'm going to follow his advice."

"And he was right to warn you but he's not so bad himself."

Both men readied themselves, their hand on their swords when they were interrupted by a commotion. The swordsman exhaled loudly as he saw the Twins approaching.

"Shit. As if they couldn't wait until it was over to show their ugly faces." he whispered to himself. Saphira growled in agreement.

When they arrived, they ignored the glares sent in their direction and talked to Eragon. "Ajihad want us to determine your knowledge in Ancient Language and magic. Your little duel will have to wait."

The trio walked in a separate corner of the room, followed by the blue lizard and the man with grey hair. Both of them stayed on the side, watching silently and carefully the explanation of the trial by the Twins.

Firstly, they tasked him with simple things like lifting a stone but met some resistance. Saphira helped him by lending her strength to him. Quickly, things became more complicated, like manipulating elements. But also, by doing this kind of trial, Eragon deduced they wanted to learn what Brom taught him of the Ancient Language. It forced Eragon to use his imagination and limit his vocabulary or whisper what he was saying to obtain the results asked.

This trial continued for a few hours until they decided to submit him to one last test. They gave him a ring and asked him to summon the essence. After several minutes of hesitation, question and consultation with Saphira, Eragon opened his mouth to say the words but was stopped by a voice.

A woman with raven hair, dark leather pants and shirt and knee high boots was walking to them. To everyone stupefaction, it was Arya. She had an expression of annoyance on her face. When she stopped in front of the two magicians, she talked again. "You should be ashamed to ask him something that only a master can do. Eragon proved he was more than capable."

She pointed a finger to the ring and said: "Arget!". A copy of the ring appeared in his hand for a few seconds before vanishing. Taking this as their cue to get away from here, the Twins ran away. The group then walked back to the middle of the training ground. A circle was formed around them. The elf withdrew her sword. "I will be your opponent for this part of your trial. Draw your blade!"

Alex walked to his friend, put a hand on his shoulder and approached his mouth to Eragon's ear to whisper him something.

"I don't want to sound pessimist but remember what Brom said about the elves: you can't defeat her in any way. She's too fast, strong and experimented compared to all of us. Try your best, use everything you learned but don't be upset if she beat you. Okay?"

The young Rider nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Now show her what you're made of!" Alex patted his shoulder a few times before stepping to the side, his attention completely directed to the duel.

Just as he adopted his fighting stance Arya rushed to him, ready to strike him in the shoulder. Eragon managed to parry the blow but barely. He retaliated, not giving her the chance to strike again. She blocked it easily. Knowing she just wanted to evaluate his fighting skills, the farmer complied and gave everything he had, his focus completely on her. Eragon used all the techniques, patterns and tips Brom and Alex taught but it wasn't enough. Finally, after half an hour, more or less, the elf knocked Zar'roc aside and put the tip of her blade against his throat.

"Good enough for me." She said, neutrally.

But before anyone could walk to Eragon to congratulate him, Arya moved her blade aside, pointing it in someone's else direction, someone with gray hair and blue eyes.

"Are you Alex?"

The young man shook his head and sighed. "Yep, it's me."

"Ajihad told me you were with Eragon during my rescue and I thank you for helping saving my life. He also asked me if it was possible to test you, saying you were a very capable fighter. I'd like to see that."

"I can attest to that." Fredric added. "This boy knows what he's doing."

Alex blushed a little at the praise and scratched the back of his head, a habit of him when he was embarrassed.

"Brom was saying the same thing but I still have a lot of work to hone my skills… anyway, you want a match? I'm going to give you one. Sword or hand-to-hand combat?"

"With a sword, of course."

"In that case, single or dual swords?"

Arya had the ghost of a smile on her face. "Let's go with the full course."

"Your choice."

The young swordsman drew his two swords and took his fighting stance. Arya did the same and waited. Everyone around them had stopped talking, all waiting in a perfect silence for the match to begin. Both of them were analyzing the other for anything that could predict the beginning of their assault. Thirty seconds passed, then a full minute and another before one of them took the first step.

Alex decided to be the one to begin the fight. He rushed at her, ready to hit her in the torso but Arya jumped back to dodge it. However, the adolescent did the same, this time preparing a vertical slash. To everyone's surprise, she stopped it with her sword and only one hand. Alex tried to push her back to gain the upper hand but she didn't bulge at all.

The elf retaliated with a stab to the side but the young man rolled away before jumping back on his feet. She went on the offensive, trying to hit him almost everywhere, alternating between slashes, swings and stabs. Alex blocked them efficiently but they were a little too close to him for his taste.

One moment, one of them was attacking while the other was protecting himself and the moment after, the roles were inversed. Alex knew he couldn't stand a single chance against her but he kept pushing on.

_«It's frustrating. It's frustrating to know that despite everything I learned, I worked for, I'm going to lose. I have the discipline, techniques, and capacities to reach my goals but it's not going to be enough this time. What is even more annoying, is that if she was a human, she would still have kicked my ass. »_

Less than a minute after arriving to this conclusion, Arya managed to make him cross his swords to block her attack. Then, in a quick pattern of movements, she forced the adolescent to bend his wrists in a strange way, making him lost his grip on his swords. Just like Eragon, Arya put the end of her blade right under his jaw.

"Ajihad and Fredric were right about you. You have talent and you're a good swordsman. You have passed the trial."

Some people whistled in admiration while other were patting the two adolescents on the back, praising their performance. Arya walked away from the crowd and made a small gesture with her index, indicating the place where she wanted to talk to them.

The blue dragoness urged them to go on her back so they could follow the elf as soon as possible. After a short flight, she landed on the designated hill and the duo jumped down. Arya arrived not long after them. She completely ignored the two boys and went directly to Saphira. She said something in the Ancient Language only the dragon could understand and she seemed rather pleased as she let out a deep hum.

It was Eragon who spoke next. "We're happy to see you're alive and well. We didn't know if you would make it."

"It's the reason why I'm in front of you right now. I have a debt to you and your friends. You saved my life."

"We just did what was the right thing to do." replied Alex with his hands in his pockets, stepping into the conversation. "Your life was worth all the risks and dangers we went through."

"That's why I thank you for this."

The young man presented his right hand to her, a small smile on his face. "In that case, let us begin clean. My name is Alex, twenty-one years old since a few days and Ambassador from another planet called Earth. It's a pleasure to meet you, Arya, Ambassador for the elves and Saphira's egg courier. If you're wondering how I know this, Brom told me."

The elf, her composure broken, looked at him with wide eyes.

"If you don't believe me, try to feel my mind and thoughts."

Cautious, she did exactly what he told her and was shocked to be unable to find him during her mental scan of the place. She detected the mental barriers placed around Eragon's and Saphira's minds but not Alex.

"How… how do you do this?"

"Contrary to your people, I don't have any magic in me. I can't use it and can't be affected by its effects, simple as that. However, someone can talk telepathically with me if they want to and I can reply, strange, heh?"

"Indeed. And tell me, how did you ended in Alagaësia?"

Alex took his amulet from under his shirt and showed her.

"With this little thing. The crystal embedded in it is charged with energy and a spell. A portal to another world, far, far away from here."

"This shouldn't exist, you shouldn't be here, it's breaking all the laws in magic that exists. Where did you found it?"

"I stole it to one of the Ra'zac during our fight on Earth. Galbatorix, as powerful as he may be, wasn't the one who created it… at least, that's what I think and the old man was agreeing to this theory. This is a complete mystery to all of us."

"And maybe we'll know more when some of our experts will get a look at it." finished Arya.

Then, the elf told them how she was asked to travel back and forth between Tronjheim and the Du Weldenvarden with the egg, in hope it would hatch for one those who tried their luck. The ambush all those months ago, the death of her companions, her capture and the torture in Gil'ead. She told them almost everything, only leaving the details of how they wanted to coax her into spilling the beans and tell all her secrets. All of this by using torture. Fortunately, the adolescents arrived just in time because one week later and she would have found herself in front of the king.

Eragon clearly showed his disgust of the methods used by the Empire to extract everything she knew from her mind. Alex didn't let a single emotion appear on his visage but inside, he was boiling in rage. Ever so slowly, his personal vendetta against the two monsters was transforming into a war against the Empire.

Then, after the talk, Arya left them, saying she had to make a report to the leader of the Varden about the trials. Having some free time before they would call it a day, the Rider and the swordsman thought it would be a good idea to see their friend. The latter welcome them in his room with a smile, in good shape and happy. He had the same food as the others, was sleeping soundly in a soft bed and could borrow any book from the library if he wanted to.

The three of them talked for no less than an hour, resuming the events of the last two days, the Twins, the tests and Arya.

After this, they left Murtagh alone, took a light dinner and flew back to the dragonhold. This time, the two boys went to sleep in the dais with Saphira, comfortably sprawled against her side. Little did they know that the next day would break the semblance of peace they had until now.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everyone!**

**It took me some time but hey, I managed to put this chapter together before the New Year (except for those who live in Australia). Anyway, I'm happy to have finished it quickly, I think that was the longest I ever wrote. The first book is almost over, just need to write one small chapter and we're done.**

**Good reading! (Happy New Year btw and see you in 2017)**

**Chapter 18**

Eragon was awaken from his sleep by the yells of a dwarf, running into their cave. As he saw the fear in the eyes of the guard, the rider knew something was wrong and woke up his friend.

"You must come quickly. Ajihad summoned all of you. Quick!"

The two boys dressed as quickly as possible, belted their swords and jumped out of the cave. Saphira followed them and lowered herself to the ground so they could climb on the saddle. She flew out of the hold, flying fast in direction of the main gate. When they landed, Orik was already here. Eragon tried to extract more information from him about what was happening but he didn't know either, Ajihad was the only one who could answer them. Walking at a fast pace, the group arrived a few minute later in from of Ajihad's study. The latter was in the room, in company of Arya and a man named Jormundur, his second-in-command.

Finally, Ajihad told them the reason of their summoning: a dwarf escaped from the tunnels, running and injured, claiming a horde of Urgals was coming to the city, from the underground.

Everyone began talking at once, voicing their opinion and creating an incomprehensible brouhaha. They were silence by the leader of the Varden, who added that an Urgal settlement was set up not far from the Surda's border, near the Beors.

"Do we know how many are coming?" asked Jormundur.

Ajihad replied negatively.

"Eragon, I need you to assist the dwarves in collapsing the tunnels outside of the city, Arya will do the same from underneath."

"Jormundur, prepare the men for battle."

They all left the room, except for one person. Seeing that their friend wasn't following them, Eragon and Saphira stopped at the door, waiting for him. Alex approached the table, his arms crossed, and looked at Ajihad.

"I'll have only one question: do you want me to participate in this or not?"

The dark skinned man sighed. "Yes, I need everyone capable to fight."

"Understood." Alex's face darkened and had a cold, somber tone. "In that case, I'm going to prepare myself, maybe we'll see each other before the battle."

The young swordsman walked back to his companions, a hard look in his eyes. "I go back to the dragonhold to change my clothes and check my weapons, see you later."

Alex began to run in direction of their cave, the people he met on his way pushed themselves aside to give him space. Less than twenty minutes later, he arrived at destination and didn't lose time. He undressed completely, with absolutely nothing on him. Searching through his backpack, he found he found another pair of clothes completely identical to the first one but there were a pair of black boots with it, leather mittens and a reinforced tactical suit.

"Good thing this backpack is half my size. If it wasn't the case, I wonder how I could have transported all of this." Alex whispered to himself, while dressing again.

Then, the adolescent deployed his equipment and dismantled his firearms one after the other to clean them all. And assure himself they would be working properly for what was coming. It took him some time and when it was done, Alex readied himself. Putting his tactical vest, he strapped all his weapons on him, took all the ammo he could, making them disappear in his pockets and finished by covering partially his hands with the mittens. Using a red headband, he tied the back of his hair into a ponytail.

"Let's check what I have on me: two swords, one assault rifle, a shotgun, Desert Eagle, Glock 17, Walther PPK, three incendiary and normal grenades and a combat knife. I think that'll be enough."

While stroking his chin, Alex thought of anything that could help them to keep the advantage in the battle.

"The battlefield is completely flat, there's no hill that could be a little away from the first line, where I could play the sniper. It's useless to try to launch the grenades from Saphira's back, we'll be the perfect target for their archers… if only she could breathe fire. Wait… they have alcohol and with some chance, alcohol that can burn. If they let me do it, I can create some Molotov cocktail."

When he was done, he put everything he didn't need back in his backpack and rushed to the kitchens.

This time, the corridors were almost empty, everyone was either equipping themselves or helping the non-fighters escape the city. Fortunately, there was no one in the room when Alex entered.

"Perfect!"

It was on those words he began his creation of the fire-breathing weapon.

* * *

During the next few hours, Eragon and Saphira managed to help collapse no less than ten tunnels. As they were observing the three main battalions deploying at the base of the city, someone broke from the lines and walked to them. Eragon quickly recognized him as Orik. The dwarf approached them and gestured them to follow him with his hand.

He led them to a tent where a loaf of bread and some water were waiting for the young man. "There's no more tunnels to destroy, Ajihad want you to replenish yourself for the fight to come. Wait here, I have something for you."

Orik then walked out of the tent and came back a few minutes later, carrying large plates of armor, in company of a few of his kin. Those plates were part of a draconic armor, to protect Saphira from any kind of physical attack, a gift from King Hrothgar.

With some help, Eragon managed to fit all the pieces together.

_«So, how do I look? »_

The Rider petted her cheek. _«Intimidating. I don't want to be in our enemies' place when they'll see you. » _

_«Thank you Little One. I'll be slowed down in my movements but it'll stop the arrows. »_

There was also a full set of armor ready for him. Fortunately, it fitted him perfectly and he even had a wooden shield with the Varden crest on it. Following the warriors around them, they blended into the nearest battalion and waited. Sharpened saplings were dug into the ground, used to create a barrier between the soldiers and the Urgals. Then, they placed large cauldrons above the openings they made. Orik joined them and together, they sat in silence. A few minutes later, the sound of hooves indicated the arrival of someone. When they turned their head to see who it was, Orik let out a curse. Murtagh, riding his war-horse Tornac, was trotting to them.

When he jumped off the saddle, Eragon hugged him.

"Before you ask, Ajihad was the one who released me. He said if I wanted to prove I had good intentions, I was more than welcomed to participate in this battle. And here I am."

"That's good to have you watch our back."

"Of course." The dark-haired man looked around him, an eyebrow raised. "Isn't Alex supposed to be here? I thought he would be with you two."

"No, he left us a few hours ago, just after the meeting, saying he had to prepare himself."

"Ah."

Not long after, Ajihad appeared and briefed them on the upcoming events. One of the Twins would be with Ajihad and the other observing the battle from the dragonhold, relaying information between them and to the Varden's leader. Eragon was asked to report anything that seemed out of ordinary to them, telepathically. Even if the idea of having any sort of link to them made Eragon want to gag, he knew it was necessary.

The young rider looked away and spotted Arya, her sword in its sheath and her bow in her hands. He walked to her. "So… you're going to fight?"

"Yes. I wasn't able to protect Saphira's egg correctly and I'm not going fail again by not keeping an eye on you two. If the Shade show up, I'll be the only one capable to defeat him."

"In that case, stay safe. _Wiol pomnuria ilian._" Arya turned her head away, feeling uneasy and didn't answer. Eragon left her alone, sitting back next to Murtagh.

* * *

Alex was one of the last men walking out of the city, just before the doors leading to it were closed. Spotting his friends, he began to march in their direction. Every step he made was followed by a loud cling, created by the five bottles hanging at his left hip.

Intrigued by the strange sound, people around him turned their heads in his direction. His friends did the same when they heard him coming.

"What's up guys?"

"Mind telling us what you're doing with those bottles?" asked Murtagh.

The swordsman winked at him. "I'll use them in the fight, you'll see. Don't be surprised if a torrent of flames appears from nowhere."

"And you're not going to wear a helmet?" added Eragon, surprised. "It could be fatal to you if they have archers."

"Don't need it right now. I'll take one from a dead body, somewhere during the battle."

As the last civilians escaped, an uncomfortable silence fell on Tronjheim, with everyone trying to pass the time in their own way. The three adolescents were sitting together, talking while staring at the distance or observing what the others were doing.

"I don't know about you but despite the fact I'm surrounded with a dragon and two excellent fighters, I'm still afraid." Murtagh said.

Alex sighed.

"I am too. In fact, I'm more than scared. I'm downright terrified, it's not a one-on-one fight but a full scaled battle we're facing. Anything can happen. I don't want to die here, not after everything we went through and all the things we have ahead of us. I am _determined_ to see the next morrow and I'll do everything in my power to survive."

"Like all of us."

_«It's great to have you trying to keep our morale up, Alex. »_

_«Someone has to do it. I'm the oldest in the team so, you can say it's my job. »_

_«True and thank you for that. »_

Saphira then licked his cheek, winking at him.

_«Come on, you two should get some sleep. It wouldn't be good for you to be tired when the battle start. »_

They agreed and closed their eyes, slowly drifting to sleep. They didn't know how long their rest was but it was interrupted by someone touching their shoulders, jerking them awake.

"It has begun." said Arya, grimly.

* * *

Alex checked his weapons one last time, making himself sure they were fully loaded while Orik swung his axe a few times and Eragon climbed onto the blue dragoness. Arya notched an arrow into her bow. Everyone's eyes were focused on the dark entrance.

"So, this is it." The swordsman prepared one of his Molotov cocktail, his lighter in one hand and the cocktail in the other. "I don't have much to say except good luck and try your best to stay alive."

Suddenly, shadowy figures appeared in the pit. There was an order from one of the commanders and the moment after, they dumped the boiling tar contained in the cauldrons, on the incoming horde. There were screams of pain, quickly followed by what could be described as a torrent of fire. However, far more Urgals arrived, marching over the dead bodies of their kin.

"My turn now!" Alex lit his first Molotov and launched it far in the air. "Fire in the hole!"

While descending, it touched one of the foes, the bottle exploding at contact and the burnt alcohol spread widely, engulfing no less than five of them. The first cocktail was quickly followed by another and an incendiary grenade.

Then, Alex switched to his assault rifle, aiming through his riflescope and the massacre began. The pikemen were very quickly overrun, resulting in the two armies clashing. Saphira bellowed as she leaped in the first lines, reducing to pieces the first Kull who was stupid enough to stand in front of her.

_«Ouch. Boy, if she's energetic like that when she wants some D in her period, I really don't want to be in the place of the male she'll chose. »_

One moment after, the first bullets were falling to the ground while their projectiles ended successfully in their targets. Quickly, one magazine was dropped, immediately replaced by another. The second one didn't last long either, the third taking its place. Many monsters tried to reach him but they only meet death.

Knowing he would be out of ammo for the M4A1 soon, Alex swapped with his shotgun and rushed into the fray. When one of the Urgals tried to hit him, the swordsman dodged the blow and countered by pulling the trigger of his gun, taking half of the Urgal's head off. Seeing something in the corner of his eye, Alex turned to see what it was but was caught off by a punch to the cheek. He was hurled back a few meters away, dropping his grip on his weapon.

He stood up, wiping the blood coming from his lips. "You son of a bitch." The Urgal in front of him was letting out angry, guttural sounds.

"Yell all you want; it's not going to change the fact I'm going to silence you."

Alex unsheathed his combat knife and ran to his enemy. The latter did the same. When they met again, Alex jumped to the side to dodge the dangerous ax and leapt to him. He swung his left arm in a wide arc and then landed on one feet and one knee.

The moment after, behind him, a fountain of blood erupted from the Urgal's neck.

Walking back to his weapon, Alex saw Eragon tackling an Urgal just in front of him, Zar'roc stuck between the horns. As another beast charged at him, the adolescent with grey hair took his Desert Eagle from his holster, aimed and pulled the trigger. It dropped on the spot, dead. Pivoting on himself, Eragon was face to face with his friend.

"So, how are you faring?"

"Not bad, and you?"

"I killed one hundred of those bastards, so far, so good."

Alex retrieved his Mossberg 500 and put his back against Eragon's. A Kull jumped at them but was quickly killed by a shell, four more Urgals fell to the crimson blade. Nodding to each other, the two youth ran to the blue lizard. Alex killed all those who were standing on their way while Eragon was dispatching the beasts who tried to follow them.

Murtagh was already at her side, surrounded by twelve Urgals who managed to prick her wings. Not knowing why, Alex's anger flared at the sight of her blood and ran even faster.

He drew his swords and in a swing, cut the head of one of them. Before they could react, another lost his arm and the next had his heart pierced. Eragon used the distraction to slew two of them and Murtagh did the same. The trio were protecting Saphira from all sides, cutting down all those who dared to approach.

Alex lit another cocktail and launched it not far from where the side Eragon was defending, separating him from the monsters.

"Come on, get on her!"

The rider nodded and remounted Saphira before she took off, leaving the other two behind. Alex and Murtagh looked at each, the former grinning.

"Ready to beat some asses?" he asked, his voice trembling in anticipation.

The dark-haired man smiled. "After you."

Eragon looked back to see his friends yell and engaging another group of Urgals, their blades dancing and only leaving death after them.

Being in the air gave them a small rest from all this fighting. Their position was giving them a clear view of the battlefield and how it was going. Unfortunately, the Varden weren't on the winning side. The Urgals' forces were forcing them back toward the city. The endless arrival of new Urgals wasn't helping but strangely, the different groups weren't organized at all. Immediately, Eragon relayed the information to one of the Twins. In answer, he was ordered to assist Hrothgar who had difficulties.

Hours passed but the situation only worsened. Every Urgal who fell was replaced by two of them, the valiant defenders were tired while fresh blood was coming endlessly from the enemy's side. Eragon was exhausted, his limbs were heavy and he had a fierce headache from all the magic he used. Saphira fared a little better, despite her small wounds. His friends weren't injured but they were tired, just like everyone else. He could see the doubt on their face, the fear they would lose and not make it alive at the end of the day.

But, there was one who was frowning, a look of pure determination carved in his eyes. Alex was slowly repelling those who were standing on his way. He was feeling the tiredness in his body but kept pushing on. He was almost out of ammunition, having just seven shells left for his Mossberg.

One of the Twins contacted Eragon again, telling him there were sounds coming from Tronjheim, certainly Urgals tunneling up underneath them. He ran to Arya, offering his hand as a way to tell her to get on the saddle. She pulled herself behind him.

As Saphira prepared to take off, a large Urgal charged at her, ready to smash her chest with his mace in a horizontal slash. The swordsman appeared from nowhere and blocked it with his katana. However, what he didn't take into account, was his blade breaking into hundreds of pieces when it made contact with the mace. Alex took the blow at full strength, deforming the plate protecting his right side. It was followed by the sickening sound of ribs shattering and flew away from his friends.

_«Alex! »_

The Urgal used the distraction and hit her directly in the chest. She roared in pain and lurched forward, leaving the ground. She managed to rise above the battlefield and in direction of the dragonhold.

Grunting in pain, Alex opened his eyes and rolled to the side, using his left arm to rose back to his feet while the other was hanging uselessly, clearly broken by the blow he had received. Raising his head, he saw his broadsword not far from him and next to it, what remained of his katana.

Slowly, the swordsman walked to his blade and retrieved it. Before he could make another step, he began to cough and blood left his mouth, his breathing was abnormally fast and the same could be said for his heart rate. He began to have problems to see correctly, his face turned pale.

_«Shit. One of the broken ribs managed to pierce my lung and now I'm suffering with an internal bleeding. If I don't have any medical attention soon, I'll die… but with how things are going, I will bite the dust before someone can take care of it. »_

Seeing that Alex had become an easy prey, a group of Urgals approached him, taking their time to savor the coming death of the one who killed so many of their brethren.

When he spotted them, the young man with grey hair slowly stepped back, his legs wobbling. He took his shotgun from its holster and raised the weapon but his aim was completely off, his hand trembling. One moment, his vision was completely clear and the next, so blurry he couldn't distinct shapes.

"Come at me, you bastards… I'm still good enough to send you all in Hell!"

With some difficulties, Alex ran to his first foe, jumped to the side and pulled the trigger, killing him instantly. With the momentum created by the recoil of the weapon, he hit another one on the side of the head. He was tackled to the ground by a third one. He fought, punching his opponent and protecting himself as best as he could with only one arm. Then, Alex grabbed his combat knife and plunged it in the beast's neck. It fell heavily on him. The last Urgal of the group tried to kill him when he couldn't move but a sword pierced his chest, directly where his heart was before retracting. He dropped on the ground, dead.

Murtagh was standing there, smiling.

"You saved us during their ambush two days ago, it's normal I do the same when I have the occasion. Now we're even."

The young man pushed the Urgal and began to try to unzip the tactical suit to check for any injury on his friend but was stopped by a strong grip on his hand.

"Don't bother, it's too late. My right arm is broken, the ribs on the same side are too and my lung is pierced." Alex coughed even more blood. "It's an internal bleeding. You people don't have the technology necessary to heal something like that. I need some clothes to keep me warm. Technically, you should raise my legs in the air, about thirty centimeters from the ground but it's not possible here for obvious reasons."

"So, you're going to die slowly and painfully?"

"Possible."

Murtagh shook his head, tears threatening to fell down his eyes. "You're rather calm about it."

"I must if I want to increase my chances to stay alive or gain some time. The most I panic, the worst it'll be."

"…"

"Come one, go back to the fight. I'll be fine on my own."

"You sure?" he asked.

Alex nodded, a small smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, it's not like I can go anywhere."

"If by misfortune you die when I come back, is there anything you want me to say to the others?"

"Tell Eragon he's a good boy. One day, he'll achieve what he started, I'm sure of it and Saphira… I… forget about it. Go help the army, they need you."

"In that case, goodbye my friend and farewell if we don't see each other after this." Murtagh sighed and left, going back into the fray.

Mere moment later, there was a blinding light. The swordsman raised his eyes to where it was coming from. The star sapphire had shattered, in the center of the fragments was Saphira, falling. A torrent of yellow and blue flames erupted from her maw. It was on this scene Alex closed his eyes and fell unconscious, waiting for death to come take its due.

* * *

When he reached the end of the staircase, Eragon had to fight the nausea caused by his ride down the Vol Turin. The moment he was going to continue, there was a sharp explosion. Urgals erupted from a hole in the floor. As the young man prepared for the coming battle, someone else arrived from it, someone different. Eragon let out a curse when he saw Durza.

When he saw the adolescent, the Shade walked to him, grinning evilly, while the monsters were surrounding him.

"Once again, we meet but this time, there's no one to help you escape."

"I'm not going to let you capture me alive."

Durza laughed. "We'll see about that. Tell me, where's your dragon?"

"Never."

"In that case, I'll have to take it from your mind by force!" As the same time Durza began his physical assault, his mind lashed out on Eragon's. In the two battles, the young Rider was completely outmatched. He could barely block or parry the blows and his mind wasn't faring better against Durza's. The duo exchanged blows, both determined to be victorious in the duel.

Knowing he was at his limits, in a last effort, Eragon threw himself at his foe but flew back as he was smashed in the head by the Shade's shield. The young man threw his own shield which clipped its target on the hip.

Taking the advantage, Eragon stuck with his sword, hitting flesh on the arm. As Durza's concentration wavered from the pain, Eragon invaded his mind but didn't expect to exposed to the Shade's life and experiences. From the corner of his left eye, the youth could see Durza with his sword raised, with an infuriated look. He tried to raise his own weapon but was lacking the strength to do so. The Shade hit him heavily in the back, slicing mail and skin as if it was butter. As pain invaded his body and mind, as his consciousness was slipping away, he had one thought: he had failed… anyone and everything.

Then, a blinding light caused him to flinch, followed by the destruction of the star sapphire as Saphira was falling, spitting fire, with Arya on her back.

Eragon saw Durza looking toward the new threat, pointing to her as words formed on his lips. Eragon felt an hidden burst of strength coming from the deepest part of him, giving him the energy to stand up, his grip on his sword strong. With the last of his energy, he drove his blade through Durza's heart. He focused all his pain and rage into a single word: "_Brisingr!"_

Shocked, the red-haired man looked at the blade in his torso and yelled in pain. There was one last howl before he exploded, the darkness rushing out of him and disappearing in the air.

The Shade was dead.

As the last of his energy was drained, Eragon fell back to the ground. The last thing he saw was Saphira and Arya falling, but slowing at the same time…


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello people and happy new year! What I'm giving you today is more of a filler than a real chapter, just to put an end to the first book and begin Eldest.**

**Lizard4523 &amp; piperw142: Thank you for the reviews, Eldest may (or not) be as long as the first book, we'll see about that.**

**George Edwards: I want to thank you too for your review and suggestion. I have a few things already planned for our little couple, don't worry about that. I'd love to say more about what's going to happen during their stay with the elves but I don't want to spoil.**

**Cya and good "short" reading!**

**Chapter 19**

Eragon was floating into nothingness, completely lost, and paralyzed. Memories and experiences from the Shade's mind flashed before him, darkness surrounded him, forcing him to curl into a ball, fighting the shadows as best as he could. He used his memories of his own life to repel the evil; his friends, the adventures he lived since he found Saphira's egg. Then, the darkness around halted in his assault, then began to retreat.

_«Come to me… »_

Eragon looked up to see a figure dressed in white.

_«Who are you… »_ he asked, almost whispering.

_«The Mourning Sage but I'm also called the Cripple-Who-Is-Whole. Come, Eragon. I have all the answers you seek. »_

_«Where can I find you? »_

_«Go to Ellesmera with Arya, you'll meet me there. »_

_Eragon opened his mouth as his mind was full of questions._

_«Be patient Eragon, the time for answers will come. » the figure turned his head to the side, as if he was looking at something only him could see. «You should be proud of what you have done. You have rid the world of a great evil. You've become more than just a pawn, you're an authority independent of any king or leader. You're your own master and belong to no one, always remember that. »_

The youth nodded in understanding.

«There is one last thing you have to know: don't tell anyone about me. It'll be our secret. Now rest, Eragon.»

"Eragon…"

"Eragon, wake up!"

The young rider gasped, rising up but was stopped in his movement by a hand. Looking around him, he guessed he was in a chamber, probably beneath Tronjheim. Angela was at his side, sitting on a chair, an exasperated and tired look on her face. She was still wearing her armor from the battle.

"You took your time; I was going to strike you myself to get you up. How are you feeling?"

Struggling to not fall back, he stuttered. "I-I don't know."

The herbalist gave him a cup of water. It calmed his thirst and now, he could think more clearly. The duel with the Shade, the pain of the sword striking against his back and Saphira falling…

"Saphira!" he shouted, rising up again.

"Calm down. She is fine."

"Where is she? And the others?"

"They are waiting outside. I'll get them."

She walked to the door, opened it and ushered his friends inside. Arya and Murtagh entered while Saphira snaked her head in, too large to go through the door. She purred loudly when she saw her rider.

_«I'm happy to see you well, little one. You made me worried. »_

_«Heh, sorry. I saw you breathing fire! »_

_«Yes »_ her chest swelled in pride as her purr redoubled in intensity. _«The others wish to explain and I'll let them. »_

Then, his friends told him what happened after Durza's death. Arya explained how she used the star sapphire to distract the Shade and give the opportunity to deliver the fatal blow. After this, the Urgals fought between themselves, obliterating their rank until they decided to fall back. Unfortunately, the injury Eragon received during the duel was still fresh, there was now a long and big scar beginning at his right shoulder and ending at the opposite hip.

Even if it was a reminder of his victory, the young rider still felt disfigured.

Then, he noticed something… rather the lack of something, or someone in that case.

"Wait, where's Alex?"

There was an awkward silence as Murtagh, Arya and Angela looked at each other. The latter sighed and shook her head. "When I found him, your friend was on the verge of death. Between you three, it was extremely difficult to keep you all alive. When Arya was well again, she took care of him while I was working on your case."

"We almost lost him." added the elf. "But he didn't give up. His injuries could have costed him his life if we didn't found him in time but fortunately, he's now out of danger and sleep deeply as we speak."

Eragon thanked her and Angela before laying back on his bed. The herbalist shooed the others out, saying he still needed to rest. The dragoness licked his cheek, adding she would come back to see him later. Once alone, the adolescent replayed in his mind what the figure said.

_«Come to me… for I have all the answer you seek. »_

Smiling, Eragon nodded to himself. _«I will come. »_

**End of Part I**


	20. Chapter 20

**piperw142: You're welcome, glad to know you appreciated the chapter even if it was short x)**

**Guest: Well, it is I who have to thank you for taking the time to read my story and leave a review. Don't be sorry for your English, mine's far from perfect (I'm french;) )**

**George Edwards: Your suggestions are interesting. The song scene is already planned in a special event, during Eldest but I'm not going to say more ;) For the other idea... I've read a lot of fanfics with mature/lemon scene but I never wrote one. You're completely right when you say there's hardly any sexual content between Saphira and an OC, I've read more stories involving SaphiraxEragon/Thorn/Firnen than with an Original Character.**

**Oh, and sorry for the delay people, I had trouble writing lately because I was busy with work and my procrastination level was over 9000 (but thanks to music, I was able to deliver this chapter). Good reading!**

**Chapter 20**

His eyes slowly opened, directed to the ceiling. His view was fuzzy but became clear after blinking a few times. His whole body was aching except for his right arm, he couldn't feel a single thing there.

"Where the heck am I?" groaned Alex to himself, clearing his throat.

Looking around him, he deduced he was in a single room with just a bed and a few furniture. His clothes and belongings were on a table, waiting for him. Sighing heavily, the swordsman removed the cover and slowly rose up to an upright position. His muscles were screaming at him to stop moving but he refused. Lowering his blue eyes to his hands, he saw his forearm put in a cast.

_«It explain why I can't fell anything in this place. »_

Memories of the battle flooded his head. He remembered the feeling of protectiveness washing over him when that Urgal tried to kill Saphira, the moment his katana made contact with the mace and was utterly destroyed, the pain he felt when his arm was smashed against his side and hearing the bones breaking. Alex wondered how he still had his member in one piece or even how he survived something that should have killed him.

_«Best theory: magic. If it's the case, an extended stay in Alagaësia would mean the end of my immunity to it. At least, magicians can't still find and probe my mind so, that's still a plus. »_

With some difficulties, the swordsman stood up, shirtless, his legs wobbling and still weak, menacing to give up under his weight. Taking careful steps, he approached the table. Needless to say, it took him some time to dress up, releasing a few curses, groaning, yelling… anything to vent out his anger to the fact it wasn't easy to put his shirt and leather vest on him. However, it was just a little quicker with his socks and shoes.

Then, he took an MRE from his backpack and began to eat. The last time he ate something, it was just before the battle and right now, his stomach was telling him to fill it with something, anything. When he was done, Alex packed everything, put his backpack over his left shoulder, opened the door and left the room.

After wandering in a few corridors, he found himself near a canteen and entered the place. It was full of people, humans and dwarves alike. Everywhere, barrels of mead were opened while everyone was singing, happily. Sitting at one table, in the middle of all of this, were Eragon, Saphira and Orik, drinking. The young man unsheathed his Desert Eagle, aimed to the ceiling and opened fire. Immediately, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their head in direction of the sound.

"Excuse me but can someone be kind enough to tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"Alex?" Eragon looked at him, slowly understanding what was happening before he stood up, rushing to his friend all the while smiling. "Alex! You woke up!"

"Yep, still alive as you can see."

The rider stopped in front of him and hugged him tightly. "I thought I'd lost you too. Especially with the injuries you had."

"I thought the same." replied Alex, while returning the hug. "But here I am."

Saphira walked to them, relieved to see their friend walking.

_«You scared us Alex but I'm glad you're well. Especially after what happened recently. »_

"And pray tell, what exactly happened after I lost consciousness?"

Eragon broke the hug, not smiling anymore, a somber look on his face. "Follow us."

The trio walked back to the table and sat on the chairs. All the people around them resumed the festivities but some of them were whispering, while taking a glance in direction of the swordsman.

"Glad to see you back on your feet, friend." Orik said, smiling.

"Thanks. So tell me, how did we managed to win? Last time I checked, we were on the losing side."

"True but first, what is the last thing you remember?"

"A blinding light followed by an explosion, the sapphire star shattering and… Saphira falling while spitting flames. After this, everything went black… until half an hour ago, when I woke up."

For the next ten minutes, Eragon explained what happened while his friend was recovering. The fight against Durza, the pain he was experimenting since he had the wound in his back, Ajihad's and Murtagh's death to the hands of the Urgals, Nasuada, Ajihad's daughter, chosen to be the next leader, the Elders trying to coerce Eragon into pledging allegiance to them and Saphira's promise to repair the broken sapphire.

"I really missed a lot of things in the last few days. I knew I couldn't have done anything to save them but I'd have liked to be here when Murtagh and the others were ambushed. They were dying while I was sleeping quietly, without a care in the world… anyway, what's done is done."

"I saw what was remaining of your katana. There's nothing much remaining except the handle and guard."

Alex nodded, his eyes lost in the cup of water in front of him. "True. Now I'll have to fight with only one hand… not that it bother me because I was trained for this kind of situation but still. I feel a little naked without it."

During a good part of the night, everyone continued to drink, slowly passing out or leaving the place, completely inebriated. And talking about drunk people… or dragon in this case: Saphira, despite putting a show to the others with her slurry speech and clumsy walk, was clingy and often expressed her affection to Alex with nuzzles and nibbles. As the people around them were laughing at the display, the poor adolescent was red like a tomato and tried to push her away gently each time. His salvation came in the name of Arya who entered the room, looking all around her before spotting him.

She made a gesture with her hand, signaling him to follow her. Alex excused himself and left the place. Once he was in the neighboring corridor, he found her with her arms crossed, her back against the wall.

"You should have stayed in bed, you're still weak from the battle."

"I know but I hate staying in one place, especially if it's to do nothing. Lying in a bed all day while waiting for my injuries to heal is not my forte."

She nodded. "I can understand that."

Then, she walked to him and put her left index on his torso, where his heart was. All of this while looking at him intently in the eyes.

"Listen, I don't why or even how but you should be dead. The injuries you received were too severe for any normal human to survive from this. You should have died way before Angela arrived but somehow, you stayed alive. Even when we thought it was over, you went against the odds."

"How did you healed me?"

"With magic, why?"

The young man turned his head away, sighing.

"Technically, it shouldn't have been possible. I'm supposed to be immune to it but I think I'm losing it the more I'm exposed to this world's inner magic."

"Maybe it's because of this… or something completely different, who know."

The duo was interrupted by the sound of wood cracking and the ground shaking a little. Immediately, Alex unsheathed his broadsword and rushed to the dinning hall, fearing something dangerous had happened and was followed by Arya. The sight in front of them was completely different from what they had imagined.

Saphira was laying on her side, her eyes closed and snoring loudly. Eragon was next to her, sleeping in the exact same position.

"Well, at least, they're not going to embarrass themselves anymore." Alex sighed. "You can go; I'll keep an eye on them."

Alex took a mug and filled it with mead. He chugged it in less than ten seconds and refilled it. "Well, it's going to be a loooooong night."

* * *

Eragon opened his eyes, gasping loudly, as water was poured over his face. Alex was standing over him, smirking.

"Come on Princess, nap time is over!"

His friend replied with a grunt as he lied back. "Ugh, my head. Last time I drink that much."

"Yeah, I think so too. It wouldn't be good to make a habit of this, no? There's a cup of water next to your clothes for the funeral."

Then, the swordsman walked to Saphira, knelt down next to her head and began to boop her on the nose with enough force so she could feel it. The first reaction he had was a frown, then followed by a growl. She turned her head to the side, to escape from the assault but it was useless.

_«Keep doing it if you want to lose your hand. »_

"Oh, good morning to you too, grumpy dragon." He laughed and stood up. "I think I saw a barrel of water, it'll help with your headache. You have five minutes to freshen up before we go."

Exactly after the five minutes, Orik walked in, nodding approvingly as Eragon put the last of his clothes on him.

"Good, follow me, the procession will begin soon."

The trio walked out with the dwarf.

"We'll begin at the south portal of Tronjheim and from there, to the grave he'll be put in."

The young rider turned his head to his friend, slightly frowning in curiosity. "You're coming with us?"

"Yes." Alex answered. "I'm going as an Ambassador after all. But I'll follow the procession from a little away. Not many people know about my position and I do not want to jinx the neutral ground between our countries by doing something that could interpreted as a provocation."

"Wow, it's seems complicated."

"It's politics. As much as I hate it, I have to follow the rules."

They went through a good part of the city into a large catacomb, with thousands of tombs inside. They put Ajihad's body in a vault, just for him. Only those who knew him personally were authorized to give him a final goodbye.

After this, Nasuada was chosen as the new leader of the Varden and Eragon, to the Council shock, took allegiance to her. Not even two hours later, a fight broke between Eragon and Saphira about a woman trying to seduce the young rider. Alex observed the scene silently from the side, sighing loudly. Eragon ended it by taking a few things with him, leaving the room to spend the night away from his dragoness.

Alex watched him leaving but didn't interfere, knowing it was a private matter and didn't concern him. However, Saphira turned her eyes to him.

_«Do you think I was wrong to act like this? »_

"You are both right. Wherever you like it or not, Eragon is becoming an adult and it's his choice if he want to have a relationship or spend some time with a woman but since the dynamic between you two is unique, he must be careful of your feelings too and the consequences it brings. Don't worry, he'll be back tomorrow and more than happy to be reunited with you. It'll be better to drop the subject, for now." The young man stretched his arms and yawned, a tired look on his face. "I'm going to bed, good night Saphira."

Before she could answer, the swordsman had left.

Alex walked to the nearest kitchen and took a mug of mead. With the mug in his hand, he wandered in the corridors, before finding a place where he could admire a part of the city and the plains in front of him.

"May tomorrow be a better day."

It was on those words he began to sip his drink, his eyes observing what was in front of him while his mind was unfocused, lost in thought.


	21. Chapter 21

**piperw142: It's my pleasure and as you can see, it only took me 4-5 days to update the next chapter this time (I was inspired this time) x)**

**George Edwards: Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not planning to write a sequel, even less a cross-over. I'm not familiar at all with Tolkien's universe, I saw the movies once, that was 10 years ago and never put my hands on the books. And yes, you should read Eldest and Brisingr (I prefer the first two since I brought them just before the movie came out so, personal preference and nostalgia here ^^ ).**

**Anyway, Good Reading!**

**Chapter 21**

The next day, during lunch, a messenger told Eragon and Saphira that they've been summoned by Nasuada. Once again, they found themselves in Ajihad's office. The only difference now was the vase with the flowers in it.

Not to their surprise, their grey-haired friend was already here, sitting patiently on a chair. Eragon walked to him and did the same. Nasuada waited a few moment before beginning: "If I summoned you, it's to tell you how bad our current situation is: we're poor, almost out of food and other materials and not a lot of people want to join our ranks. This is why I decided to move our troops to the Surda."

"I don't think Orrin, the Surda's king, will publicly oppose Galbatorix."

"The tables have turned. They will help us, it's certain." She said before continuing. "The Varden will leave Farthen Dur in a month. Meanwhile, I have a favor to ask of you. I want to spread rumors in the Empire, about you and Saphira who decided to join our cause. Do you have any objection to that?"

The Rider had a mental discussion with his dragoness for a good minute before answering.

"Do what you think is the best. If it helps you to recruit more people, I'm not against it."

"Good. It'll help us more than you think. Anyway, I also wanted to see you about your training with the elves. Since they put wards around the forest, we have no way to contact them without going physically there. They don't know everything that occurred since Arya's kidnapping."

The young woman gave him a scroll.

"This parchment explain our situation and our plans. Keep it with you under any circumstance until you deliver it to Queen Islanzadi. I hope it'll be enough to restore our diplomatic ties."

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning… and someone else is coming with you."

Eragon knew they would have to travel on the ground because Saphira wasn't strong enough to carry him, Arya and Alex. But, he was curious to know who would be the fifth traveler.

"To stay impartial and keep the peace between our races, it was decided that a dwarf would go to the Du Weldenvarden with you. Orik was the best choice since you're friend with him."

Nasuada turned her head to the other adolescent, who stayed silent until now.

"Alex, I have something to ask of you too."

"What is it?"

"Is there any way for you to provide us with some military support or anything else?"

"Except me, no. If your father briefed you correctly on my case, the only military help you'll have is mine. For my government, this mission don't exist at all. If I ask for anything, they'll deny that this and put me in jail so I can't tell the population the existence of this world. I was supposed to come here on peaceful term and I killed no less than a hundred soldiers while chasing down the assassins working for the king. If I never come back home, they'll erase everything about me as if I never existed so, you can forget about it."

"I see. It's better than nothing, thank you. And as an Ambassador, I suppose you'll go with Eragon?"

"Yes. I also promised Brom I would watch their back until they were strong enough to be on their own."

She nodded, understanding perfectly the reasons why Alex would stay at his friend's side. Nasuada dismissed them, telling the group to prepare themselves for their next journey.

After a light dinner, Alex left the duo alone, wanting to sleep early this time.

* * *

The trio arrived at the north gate exactly one hour before dawn. Not long after them, it was the dwarf's turn to arrive. While giving Eragon his repaired armor, Orik explained Hrothgar's offer to adopt him into his clan, as a member of his family. It was including the status, privileges and rights as a true-blooded dwarf. After debating mentally with Saphira, the young man accepted. One short initiation ceremony later and he was considered a member of the Ingeitum clan.

Soon after this, Arya and Nasuada joined the group. They made their final preparations before leaving. The Varden's leader bid them farewell, adding that her people will wait patiently for the group to come back.

Orik was leading, a red lantern in his hand. The swordsman was walking at his side, his flashlight pointed in front of him. Arya and Eragon were behind them while the dragoness was in the back.

"How long will it take us to go through this tunnel?" asked Alex to his friend.

The latter shrugged. "Two days or a little more, it'll depend of how fast we'll walk."

* * *

And indeed, two days had passed since they left Tronjheim. Cool, fresh air greeted them when they left the tunnel, accompanied by a bright sun.

"I'm not against walking under a mountain but for this long? Nope."

_«I agree with you. The outside world is far better than this. »_

Unfortunately for Saphira, she couldn't go for a flight since they weren't far from their next step: the city of Tarnag. Arya was the first to walk down the path leading to the city, quickly followed by the others. Not long after this, a group of seven dwarves on their giant goat appeared, saying they would be their escort into the city.

While they were walking in direction of the citadel, a group of dwarves wearing purple robes stood in their way. Immediately, Alex stood in front of the Rider, his left hand on the Glock's holster, ready to use it if he thought it would be necessary. The leader of those new dwarves shouted angrily when he saw the Ingeitum's insignia on Eragon. He tore a few hairs from his beard, wrapped them on the ring, threw it in the street and spitting after it. Then, the newcomers ran away while Orik and the others were taken aback by the gesture.

"From what I seem to understand, those guys don't want to befriend us." said Alex.

Orik retrieved the ring, grunting in approval. "Indeed. You have made enemies Eragon. It was bound to happen, one day or another."

After walking a few more minutes, they entered in an open courtyard where another group of dwarves was waiting for them and a few tables were set up. One of them, with a gray beard and wearing wolf skin presented himself as the leader of another clan and their host, named Undin and introduced someone else: Gannel, another leader and head priest of the Quan clan.

The talk was shortened by Orik who showed them the ring. They went inside to discuss this topic in private, leaving the two adolescent and dragoness on their own.

"Sorry to leave you alone Saphira but we need to rinse the filth we have on us. We'll be back soon."

_«Don't worry Little One, I'll be fine. »_

Maybe an hour later, or a little less, dwarves were packing the tables, waiting for the feast to begin. Once everyone was here, they dug in. There was a lot of food and drinks. Not wanting to repeat the scenario they had a few days ago, Eragon and Saphira were only drinking water. Despite the good ambiance, there was still some tension from what happened earlier.

However, the festivities stopped at the moment Eragon asked about the ring. Undin told him that by doing this, those dwarves were now his blood enemies and would oppose him in any way possible. The Rider tried to acquire more information but the hosts refused to say anything else on the matter. Soon after, Alex excused himself, saying he would take a stroll around the citadel for some fresh air before going to bed.

"In that case, I hope you don't mind if a guard go with you, for your safety." said the clan chief, in neutral tone.

The swordsman shrugged. "Even with one arm, I can protect myself perfectly, thank you for the offer."

"I'm sorry to insist but after what happened today, and even if you're not a Rider, the members of that clan could hurt you as a way to show Eragon what they're capable of. You wouldn't want to upset us, right?"

"True… it's true. You're completely right, I just killed almost three hundred Urgals on my own, no less than a battalion of soldiers in Dras-Leona and two of them while I was helping my friends escaping from Gil'ead. Oh and I was also engaged two times in a 2v1 fight with the Ra'zac, Galbatorix's best assassins and survived both encounter in one piece… nah, it's absolutely nothing at all. Despite that, I'm completely defenseless. " He replied sarcastically. "Choose someone quickly because I'm going out now."

Not waiting for any kind of answer, the young man walked away.

Undin's face was completely red in anger but before he could do anything, Arya stood up. "I'm not happy with the way Alex acted too but what he said is true. Moreover, as a foreign dignitary, it wouldn't be good to create a diplomatic incident with him. He know what he's doing."

All the dwarves present in the room looked at her, baffled.

"How so?"

"Alex is not from Alagaësia, he's from another place, far beyond the sea. No need to send someone after him, I'll do it myself."

It was on those words she left, walking fast to catch up with the swordsman. Fortunately, he wasn't that far ahead of her.

"If you're here to tell me to come back to them and apologize, I'm sorry to say that I refuse."

"You could have handled this a little more diplomatically."

"And stroke their giant ego? Nope at all, especially after they treated Saphira like a pile of shit!" The young man looked at the elf, frowning in anger and with his fists closed. "I understand they hold a grudge against those giant lizards and the Riders but damn. They acted as if she was a mindless beast, only used to entertain people… and I don't want to imagine what you must be thinking as the elves are 'almost' worshipping the dragons. That's why I decided to go outside, away from them."

She smiled at this. "For their sake and mine, It's better if I keep my emotions behind a wall of neutrality."

"Yeah, I think so too. I never saw you angered and I really don't want to. Anyway, I'll go now so, feel free to follow me if you want to. It'll be nice to talk to someone with who I can have a philosophical/political discussion and forget all this drama for once."

"Sure. In truth, I was also curious about you and where you're coming from."

"Ask, I'll answer as best as possible."

* * *

A little away from them, standing on the plaza was the sapphire dragoness. She was completely concentrated on watching the duo talking, even if she couldn't hear what they were saying. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Arya smiling after Alex said something, she let out a small growl. Her reaction surprised her… why was she acting like this? Like she didn't want the young man to be near the elf. Those two were only discussing after all, there was nothing wrong in talking innocently.

Saphira knew this feeling that had invaded her the moment Alex was left alone with Arya, it was the same thing she felt when Trianna was flirting with Eragon: jealousy.

Now, the question was: why?

Why was she harboring this kind of feeling for Alex?

_«Am I jealous of Alex or rather… am I jealous of the fact he's spending time/talking with another female? It doesn't make any sense. »_

She went to the large cushion they installed for her and laid down on it. She closed her eyes, the image of Arya and Alex haunting her, she grumbled and let out a deep sigh. Not long after this, she fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**piperw142: No prob' ! But sorry for taking a little longer this time, I wasn't motivated much for this chapter.**

**George Edwards: Dude, are you in my mind or what? The encounter between Glaedr and Alex will be a pacific one, that's for sure. Our protagonist wil be jealous, it's certain but there'll be a little twist, you'll see ;) The song will be a love song, it's almost definitive but which one... I'll put some thought for the lemon scene but if I write one, I'm switching the story to Fiction M, just in case of.**

**Soldiers of the Dragons: Well, thank you. I'm trying to put some realism in the relation between Alex&amp;Saphira. It wouldn't be interesting to make them fall in love madly after only 10-15 chapters. Especially since Saphira don't know what true love is (she only know the familial one due to her relationship with Eragon/Roran/Katrina). She only had the infatuation Eragon has for Arya as a reference.**

**Dax2010: I'm glad to know you like my story that much, I'm pleased!**

**Two weeks and just 2000 words, yeah, I know. I've wrote more under less time but I didn't know what to write for this one and didn't to put some filler just for the sake of it. The next chapters'll be more interesting. There'll be elves, political/technological discussions, moar training, some tension between human/elves (Vanir, mah boi, if you can hear us, this one is for you).**

**See you next chapter and good reading!**

**Chapter 22**

While Eragon was invited to visit the main chapel of the city, just after breakfast, in company of the dwarf administrating it, Alex and Saphira were currently left to their own devices. The latter was laying outside, basking under the warm sun while the swordsman observed the city, on a wall, swinging his legs without a care in the world and humming a catchy tune. The dragoness opened her left eye and looked at him.

_«So, how was your walk last night? »_

Without even looking at her, he answered, grinning. "It went fine, the air was fresh and it was a little windy but agreeable. I needed that, especially after spending almost a week inside a mountain. I'm sure you understand that."

_«Yeah, I was also tired of being underground. We dragons prefer places where we can fly freely, feel the wind under our wings and the sun on our scales. And I suppose your stroll wasn't a silent one? »_

"Indeed. Arya and I talked a lot."

_«About what? »_

Alex turned his head to her, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"What's with all these questions?"

_«I'm just curious, that's all. »_

He shrugged and looked again at the landscape in front of him.

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, we talked about Earth, my past and some historical events that happened in my world. Just general stuff."

_«It's strange. You two are the only people who barely say a word and only talk when it's necessary and however, you don't hesitate to engage in a discussion with each other. »_

"True…"

_«What intrigue me is you seems to have opened yourself faster to her than Brom or me… »_

Alex made a strange movement with his head, as if he was taken aback by what she said.

"Maybe it's because I'm going soft? I was on my guard for so long and after travelling for months with you, I broke the shell of anguish, hate and anger I put around me. I felt at ease in her presence, just like with you or Eragon." He turned to look at her, a playful look in his grey eyes. "But, with these questions… I wonder, are you jealous Saphira?"

_«Why would I be? Last time I checked, you're free to talk to any female you want. »_

"Well, I spent some time with her, talking, completely alone and away from others. Instead of you."

Saphira sighed, knowing she couldn't escape it. _«It would be lying to say I don't like being in your presence. »_

At this, the young man laughed loudly. "So, you ARE jealous!"

The only answer he had was a deep growl, which made him laugh even louder.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the Rider was back with a gift from Gannel: an enchanted necklace protecting him from anyone trying to scry him and Saphira. The group was informed they would leave this place tomorrow morning, just before the sun could rise.

The following day, before the sun could appear, Undin decided it would be better if a group of his best guards were escorting them until they reached the entrance of the Du Weldenvarden. Once outside the city, rafts were waiting for them, floating in the river. Their next stop was Hedarth, a trading post where they would fill their backpack with food and then, the ancient forest, home of the elves.

Once everyone was ready, poles entered the water and the rafts were pushed away from the edge, slowly gaining speed and increasing the distance between them and Tarnag.

Alex stood up and walked to the front of the raft, looking in direction of the north, eager to go to their next destination, knowing it would bring him closer to his final goal.

* * *

Hours passed by as the group continued their approach of the outpost. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to do so except talk or admire the scenery. Eragon decided to follow his dragoness and jumped in the water, swimming happily alongside her. They stopped for the night, their activities reduced to erect the tents, cook the food and go to sleep.

This routine continued for the following days, only broken by another attack from Eragon's wound on his back. His friends were completely helpless, only able to stay at his side to comfort him. The fact he couldn't do anything to ease the pain enraged Alex. Eragon had suffered enough until now, he didn't need to live with this reminder of his duel with the Shade.

They followed the Az Ragni until it joined the Edda River. Hedarth, the outpost, has been built at the junction between the two rivers. Their rafts were exchanged for donkeys, except Arya and Eragon. From where they were, they could admire the vast plains which extended to the horizon. It took them three days after leaving the outpost to see the forest appear in their view. At the beginning, it was nothing more than a patch of green but slowly expanded into a line of different kinds of trees.

A few hours later, at the end of the third day, Arya contacted Eragon and Alex mentally, asking them to follow her as silently as possible. She waited for them just outside the ring of tents, sitting on a log.

"There're some things I have to teach you two before we enter the Du Weldenvarden. Such as some customs, mannerisms and ways of speaking since elves consider courtesy in a high regard."

"My situation is almost as bad as Eragon… so, no way I can dodge this lesson."

Arya smiled a little at this. "Indeed. While Eragon is our only hope against Galbatorix, you also have an important role. After all, you're a human, an Ambassador, coming from another planet, beyond the stars with technology and knowledge hundreds of years ahead of us. Our best scientists, spellcasters and blacksmiths will want to talk with you."

Then, for the next hour, she taught them how to greet someone properly, or even someone who had a lesser/higher status than them. Saphira asked if all this was applying to her and the answer was negative. Since she was dragon, she was higher than everyone else, even the Queen. They didn't expect the dragons to respect their laws. Alex's case was lightly different: only the Queen and her advisors were above him in rank.

"Alex, can I see your arm?"

The young man presented his right arm, still in a cast, to her. She ran her fingers on it, applying a little pressure here and there, obtaining almost no reaction from Alex.

"Your healing is almost over, I'll finish it quickly."

Arya whispered a phrase in Ancient Language, and her hands began to glow green. A few moments after, it disappeared and she nodded, satisfied before removing the cast.

"Wait a few days before resuming your training, your bones are still a little fragile."

The swordsman smirked. "Quite the contrary, I have to strengthen them again as soon as possible, to prevent my arm from breaking so easily next time! Ready for a sparring match, Eragon?"

The duo stood up. They removed their boots/shoes before Alex presented his left fist to his friend who bumped it with his own before they took their fighting stance.

"Did you even heard what I said?"

"Yes, I'm not deaf but I've chosen to ignore it!"

Alex rushed to his friend, his fist ready to strike. Eragon stood his ground and crossed his arms at the last moment to block the blow. Instead of this, the swordsman used his momentum to feint and kick Eragon in the right side at full speed. The rider clutched his side in pain, his breath labored.

"Always keep your sides protected; they're more vulnerable than your front. While you're recovering your breath, your guard is lowered and your opponent has all the time in the world to finish you."

His friend retaliated by throwing a few punches, be it directs, hooks or uppercuts. Some of them found their targets while others missed. The assault didn't stop Alex from also giving a few hits. Eragon sucker-punched him, breaking his guard and concentration. He took his friend's head with both hands, pushed it down while raising his leg to give three knee stroke and kicked him back. The swordsman's nose was bleeding and he had a cut on his lips. Eragon was getting far better at this and for him, that was an excellent thing. It means his role as a tutor was coming to an end and very soon, the rider would be as good if not, far better than him. The moment he got within range, Alex grasped Eragon's clothes and put a foot to his chest. Alex then rolled back and used the momentum to hurl his opponent over his head, where he crashed down into the floor. Eragon landed on his back, letting out a grunt of pain before rising up with difficulty.

"Come one, let's continue."

The man with brown eyes looked at him, surprised. Despite the blows he took and his recent recovery, Alex was standing a few feet away, completely unfazed by his injuries. "I'd like to know something Alex… how do you keep rising up each time you're in a tight spot or beaten up. Dras-Leona, Gil'ead, Farthen Dur... how can you ignore the pain, tiredness, the aches in your muscles? Even right now, I'm sure you're in pain but refuse to show it."

The grey-haired adolescent smiled.

"Because, just like you Eragon, I have a goal. I have friends, a family, waiting for me to come back to them, supporting me in my quest. This is what make me **determined** to see the end of this journey that I started six years ago. That's why I'm willing to endure all of this."

"I see. In that case, let's put an end to that sparring match. The one who hit the other first win!"

"I'm okay with that, let's go!"

The two boys rushed at each other, their fists ready and grinning like idiots.


	23. Chapter 23

**George Edwards: what I meant by that is that you guessed exactly how I want the interaction between Alex/Glaedr to be. Can't smile without you is a good choice for a love song but personally, I find it a little too simplistic. It lack a deepest meaning for my taste. There's a lot of songs that can fit the job: Careless Whisper, Never Gonna Give You Up or something a little more modern. We can't say we're out of choice in that department!**

**piperw142: You're welcome!**

**snowbeard3: Well, thank you for your kind words. I don't consider myself that good. I know I have some experience, I've been writing in French/English for years but I still have a long way to go to hone my skills.**

**Merecor: and one more reader, one! Normally, it'll stay as good as this (if not better) until the end so stay onboard!**

**Good reading!**

**Chapter 23**

When Alex stood up, he grumbled, his eyes half-closed with fatigue. Various parts of his body were still sore from the spar he had last night. His friend had gone far stronger since they left Carvahall. Alex had some difficulties to admit it because of his pride but Eragon was as strong as him in hand-to-hand combat and in swordplay. In the near future, he'll surpass him. That was certain and even more when he'll gain his inhuman speed and strength.

The swordsman packed his things and quickly followed the others, ready to start the new day. A few hours later, when dusk was here, the group arrived at a small meadow. Arya made a sign to the other to wait while she walked to the middle of it. By sheer precaution, Alex checked the current magazine he had in his M4A1 and tightened his grip on it.

Yes, he was wary of the elves but after all, the young man didn't trust a lot of people and it worked well until now.

Then, she began to speak in Ancient Language, giving her identity, those of the people who were with her and why they were here. The dwarves and two humans were startled when four elves jumped from a tree and ran to Arya, dancing around her and singing. However, they quickly stopped when Saphira went to her rider's side, yelling in fear. But they quickly calmed down when Eragon showed his Gedwaÿ Ignasia to them while talking in Ancient Language.

The elves made signs for the little troop to follow them. They came across several huts, put at the base of a large tree. A meal filled with fruits and vegetables was put in front of them and almost reluctantly, they ate it. While the elves were conversing telepathically with Saphira, the two adolescents were more interested in what was coming next.

"So what's the plan for the next days?" asked Alex, curiously.

"We're going to walk… a lot. We have to cross two lakes and one river to reach the next city and from there, our final destination will be Ellesméra."

Eragon turned his head to the dwarves. "What about you? You're going back to Tarnag?"

"Indeed Shadeslayer. Our leader, Undin, is waiting for us to come back and deliver our report."

"I see."

And indeed, the next day, what was remaining of the original group bid farewell to the dwarves, thanking them for their company. Then, they boarded boats that were made from thin bark of a similar component.

"Technically and physically, those boats shouldn't be able to support our weight but since it was probably made with magic, I'm not surprised." Commented Alex.

Days passed by as they walked and traversed a river and a lake, now arriving close to Silthrim. Of course, it meant two things: they would come across many elves and Saphira had to remain hidden until they were away from the city. Obviously, the dragoness wasn't pleased with this but she knew it was a necessity. After finding a place for Saphira to spend the night, the group crossed Ardwen Lake and it took them a good part of the day. They were setting camp when the sun was disappearing behind the giant trees, a little away from the shore where they left their boats.

When the fire was ready, Alex and Eragon began to sit in front of it but were interrupted by a sound coming from around them, it sounded like whispers. Looking around them to determine the origin of the sounds, it seemed they were coming from the city, not far from their position. The music rose in intensity as if it was the whole forest who was singing.

Eragon straightened and stood up, ready to dash in the forest to find the source of this. However, he was stopped by Arya before he could take a single step. She barked a few words in Ancient Language as the rider got deaf. A few moment later, her lips moved silently and Eragon could hear again. Orik also calmed down, being restrained by Lifaen and Nari. The only one who wasn't affected by all of this was Alex.

"What the fuck just happened?" he whispered to himself, observing the scene in front of him.

"It seems I miscounted the days, I would have preferred to stay away from any city during Dagshelgr."

The woman explained the celebration to the two boys and how it could affect other races. As the elves were singing in Ancient language, it was affecting the whole Du Weldenvarden, helping it grow and stay in good shape. Around them, the forest became even more alive with animals adding their voice in a symphony of yells and cries.

Eragon looked at the forest curiously. "What are they doing?"

"They're searching for a mate." Arya then sat in front of the fire. "In each of our cities, elves sing this song. The more people participate, the stronger is the spell and more prosperous will be the forest this year."

"It is out of question for me to be manipulated against my will by magic! Arya, if it happens again, I promise I go back immediately to Farthen Dûr!"

"Orik, I understand your frustration and I'm sorry for this mistake. I will try to protect you as best as possible from the Dagshelgr's effects but you can't escape magic, it permeates all things in Du Weldenvarden."

"But, in that case, why Alex didn't react to the melody?" asked Nari. "He should have been affected by it."

The person concerned turned his head to Arya, his eyes widening. He had forgotten that big detail.

"As much as I hate to keep you in the dark, Alex's situation is particular. Everything will be explained in due time."

"We understand, Arya Svit-kona. We'll wait for you to tell us."

Four hours later, while everyone couldn't sleep because of the agitation, except Alex who used his earplugs and went to bed, Saphira dropped from the sky, a strange glow in her eyes. She shuddered and arched her neck. Opening her maw, panting, she spoke to her rider:

_«The forest is alive, and I'm alive with it. I feel the warmth of my blood like never before. It burns like yours burn when you think about Arya. I… understand now! »_

_«What do you understand? »_

The blue dragoness looked at the sleeping form, not far from them. Eragon did the same and immediately understood.

_«The feelings I have for Alex! You've a crush on her while my sentiments for him are stronger. Ancestors help me, Eragon, I love him! Whenever he's near me or we are talking, I'm happy. When he is in the company of another female, I'm jealous and all the times he scared me when he put himself in danger to save us. Deep in my heart, I know he's the one. I knew it for some time but refused to understand, pushing theses strange feelings away. »_

_«In that case, you should tell him tomorrow. »_

Saphira's mood darkened. _«I can't. »_

The young man looked at her, completely stunned by what she just said.

_« I know there's a chance he don't feel the same way about you but… »_

_«Eragon… I'm a dragon and he's a human. It'll never work. »_

_«Couples of Rider and elves existed, I don't see why it couldn't be the same with a dragon and a human. » he replied. «I want to see you happy Saphira, more than everything. »_

_«I know Little One, I know. »_

_«Come on, let's try to get some sleep. »_

* * *

When dawn showed its nose, Eragon admired the effects on the trees from last night. Everything was fresh, pure and lush. The air had a smell of after the passage of the rain. Saphira was feeling herself again, her fever was gone but the flame in her heart remained.

"Lifaen, Nari, go to Silthrim and come back with horses but only six, Alex will ride with Eragon. We can't walk to Ellesméra on foot. Inform captain Damitha that Ceris need reinforcement. If she ask why, tell her what she hoped – and feared – has happened; destiny has bitten its own tail. She'll understand."

The two elves walked to Silthrim after emptying the canoes. Three hours later, they were back with two white stallions and were guiding four other magnificent horses. The creatures were walking strangely, furtively and what surprised Alex and Eragon were that the horses didn't have any saddle or harness. The stallions were as big as a pony and didn't seem to be frightened by Saphira.

"How do we tell them to go in a direction or another?"

Arya answered. "An elf horse will obey every order you give him in Ancient Language. However, never mistreat it! They're not our slaves but our friends and partners. It's a great privilege to mount one."

After installing their material on the last horse, the party set off, still deeper in the forest. Eragon longed to see open spaces, a clearing, a filed or anything else instead of trees. His flights with Saphira weren't better, it showed him a stretch of hills. The trees became larger and thicker, Arya said it was a sign they were approaching the Capital.

In the late afternoon, the group stumbled upon an elf wearing a tunic and a silver circle adorned his forehead. His face was old, full of nobility and serenity. Obeying Arya's orders, Eragon showed his Gedwaÿ Ignasia and Brom's ring. In response, the elf smiled, closed his eyes, opened his arms as a welcoming gesture and stopped moving.

They all walked around him, and finally, he disappeared in the shadows.

"It was Gilderien the Wise, Prince of the house of Miolandra and guardian of Ellesméra since the Du Fyrn Skulblaka, our war with the dragons. He's the only who authorize the entrance into the city."

Not long after this, the path in front of them cleared, they passed under a gateway made by two threes leaning on each other and arrived in a field. Arya and the elves jumped of their mounts, quickly followed by the two humans and the dwarf.

The woman with dark hair turned her head to the trio, smiling.

"Welcome to Ellesméra."


	24. Chapter 24

**George Edwards: I respect michael jackson's work and songs but I'm not a big fan of them. The Way You Make Me Feel if okay but not the first that would come to my mind when I'm looking for a love song (I still have some time, there'll be no Blood-Oath Celebration before a good 4-5 chapter I think.).**

**piperw142: Still no meeting with Oromis/Glaedr in this one but the next for sure! However, the first meeting with them is not important, the one after... yes! For a simple reason, P-L-O-T T-W-I-S-T but enough with the spoilers ;)**

**Soldier of the Dragons: Saphira looks calm because she's acting rationally and logically. She know it'll never work if he don't feel the same but she isn't aware that he's harboring the same kind of feeling for her. It's just a matter of time before they confess to each other but with Glaedr mixed in this...**

**Chapter 24**

As they entered the Capital, elves appeared from between the trees, all around them. Instinctively, Alex lowered his hand to his Deagle but stopped in the middle of his movement. Instead, he put his hands in his pockets, knowing that despite his instincts were screaming at him to stay on guard, he knew he was safe here. The elves were gathering in great numbers, watching the travelers approaching. The group walked in direction of a net of roots, forming steps and leading to a wall made of saplings.

A door opened before their eyes, inviting them to go in the hall of trees laying in front of them. Along each wall, was a row of twelves chairs, each occupied by various lords and ladies and at the head of all of this, a throne made of knotted roots. Sitting on it, was none other than Queen Islanzadi, majestic and proud. Wearing a cape full of white swan feather, the queen observed sharply as the party was walking to her. Despite her imposing appearance, there was a sentiment of fragility and sadness coming from her.

Without a single hesitation, Arya and the elves guards knelt and bowed their heads. Eragon and Saphira did the same, their hearts beating rapidly and loudly. However, the swordsman kept his posture. He already talked about this with Arya and even if she didn't like it, she understood his position.

The queen descended her throne, stopping before Arya, examining each member. She put her trembling hands on her shoulders and said with a strong exaltation: "Stand up!"

The black haired elf obeyed, while the queen was fixing her intensively. Then, Islanzadi hugged her.

"O, my daughter, I have wronged you!"

Eragon, Saphira and Orik lightly flinched at this while the other human stayed impassible with a deadpan look on his face. They knew Arya was someone of importance for the elves, as their ambassador and Saphira's egg guardian but not this. In a way, it wasn't surprising with how she acted and carried herself.

"Islanzadi Dröttning," relied Arya in a formal tone.

The queen withdrew as if someone had stung her an repeated in Ancient Language: "My daughter, I have wronged you! Since your disappearance, I couldn't eat or sleep anymore. Your fate was haunting me, and I was fearing to never see you again. Banning you away from me was my worst mistake… can you forgive me?"

"During the last seventy-years, I lived and loved, fought and killed without talking to you, mother. It's a long time."

"You know I can't undo the past, Arya."

"I can't forget what I endured."

"And you shouldn't."

Islanzadi grasped her daughter's hands. "Arya, I love you. You're my only family. Leave, if you want, but unless you wish to ignore me, I'd like to be reconciled with you."

For a long moment, everyone thought Arya would deny her mother but she lowered her eyes and replied.

"No, Mother, I couldn't leave."

Islanzadi hugged her daughter again. Breaking free from her daughter, she turned to Eragon and Saphira:

"Please accept my excuses. It was improper of me to ignore my most important hosts!"

Eragon put his fingers to his lips and did the gesture Arya showed him.

"Islanzadi Dröttning. Atra esterni ono theldhuin."

"Atra du evaninya ono varda."

"Un atra mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr," answered Eragon, achieving the ritual.

In his mind, he heard Saphira repeating the same salutation to the queen.

"Dragon, what is your name?"

_«Saphira. »_

"Welcome to Ellesméra, Saphira! And you, Rider?"

"Eragon Shadeslayer, your majesty."

"You have a powerful name. I welcome you to Ellesméra, Eragon Shadeslayer! We have waited a long time for you to appear."

Then, Alex greeted her the same way his friend did.

"I remarked you didn't bow like the rest of the group did. It's the simplest mark of respect that someone can do. Who are you to ignore this, human?"

"With all due respect, your highness, I bow to no one. I didn't do it to Ajihad, King Hrothgar and I'll not begin with you. And to answer your question: I am Alex. Human ambassador from planet Earth."

This time, there was an even bigger agitation among the elves. The queen's eyes widened and before she could utter a word, Arya intervened.

"Mother, he's saying the truth."

"Queen Islanzadi, I come from a world, in a galaxy far, far away from here. Where I live, there's no magic, only technology. Dragons, elves, dwarves… they're myths, they only exist in books, nothing else. We managed to convert the energy from the sun into electricity, we don't use horses to travel anymore but giant birds made of steel."

Curious, one of the elven lords talked. "And how can we be sure you're not inventing all of this? Maybe Galbatorix manipulated your mind and put false memories in it. "

"I can't be influenced by magic, nobody can invade my head, I'm the only one who can grant permission to enter it and know what I'm thinking. Come on, try to find it."

Taking this as a challenge, the elf closed his eyes and concentrated. He could feel everyone around him but not the young man. Physically, he was present but it was as if his thoughts were invisible.

"Now, focus exclusively on me. As if you want to go inside my mind. "

_«It's the only way for you to speak telepathically with me, if I authorize it. »_

Then, Alex showed him some pictures from New York, Paris, Seattle and other things that were only present on Earth. The elf gasped in shock.

_«Do you still think my head was twisted by an evil force now? »_

"No, sorry for doubting your word… and Arya Dröttning by the same occasion." He bowed.

The swordsman smiled. "I'm not offended, I understand being wary after living in oppression for so long."

"Thank you."

"Anyway," intervened Islanzadi. "I think we will have a lot to discuss of in the near future. It's our first encounter with a human coming from another world after all. Let's put this aside for now. Eragon, by seeing this ring at your finger and this sword at your side, I understand that Brom is dead and you couldn't finish your formation with him. I'd like to hear what happened during your journey, how Brom died and how you managed to meet my daughter."

The Rider recounted the tale, sometime helped by Saphira when his memory was failing him. When he was done, he presented the scroll to the queen.

"Now that Arya is back, do you accept to help the Varden like before?"

"Without a doubt. We'll support them like we did in the past and even more with your victory over the Urgals."

Then, after a brief talk with Orik, Queen Islanzadi turned her head to Arya, waiting for to tell what happened all those months ago. Firstly, she explained her capture, her long imprisonment and the tortures. She told in full details what they did to her, what they tried to break her mind and force her to reveal her secrets. The elves present in the assembly thanked her for the horrors she endured to stay silent.

Islanzadi broke the sour mood by ushering everyone out, guiding them in direction of the fields where the rest of the elves were gathered, they received orders to prepare a fest for the Rider and his dragon. A lot of tables were set up, more than enough for all of them and after this, the elves began to brings plates of fruits, vegetables and sugar-coated food. Around them, the forest was rustling with activity. At one moment, someone gave a cup of a transparent liquid to Eragon and Alex. The later sniffed it curiously. He drank it in one shot. It had the taste of spiced cider mixed with some mead.

"What is it?" asked Eragon to Nari.

"The faelnivr? We're using elderberries for it."

And of course, Eragon offered what was remaining of his cup to Saphira who absolutely loved the drink. Watching the little moment between those two, Alex shook his head. The moment after, Orik appeared in front of them, still shocked from the revelation from Arya.

"The daughter of the queen! I'd like to tell Hrothgar and Nasuada, they wouldn't believe it!"

Islanzadi clasped her hand together again and from the city, appeared a quartet of elves, carrying instruments. Two of them had a harp, another a flute and the fourth only her voice. Seeing the harps, Alex's eyes glowed with a strange glint. Slowly, he stood up and walked to the group.

"Excuse me, I'd like to know… is it to possible to try one of your harps?"

The elves smiled and nodded, one of them handing him said instrument. He tried all the strings, noting what sound they produced and smiled.

"If you want, you can play with me. I have the perfect music with those instruments and it'll be better if you extract what you need to play from my head. What do you think?"

"We'll be happy to learn what song your kind tend to listen to."

"Cool, I begin and you follow when I mod to you, sounds good?"

The group nodded approvingly. Everyone around them stopped talking to each other and waited patiently for the musicians to begin. Alex closed his eyes, he could feel the others' minds around him, and began to play.

**Great Fairy's Fountain Theme - Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony - **** watch?v=U7JQgyNw068** (listen to it while reading)

He started quickly, playing low and high for a good twenty seconds before stopping. The next note was high-pitched, he continued playing slower before the second harp took his place, playing almost the same loop while he was doing something different but at the same rhythm. Quickly, the flute entered the scene, adding its own voice to it and finally, the choir of two voices. All of this was mixed in a beautiful music for a moment, and slowly, the song died out, leaving only Alex's harp to give the final notes.

The young man gave the harp back to its owner, thanking him for sharing it. He also thanked the others for playing with him.

"We thank you too, Alex-Vodhr. It was a pleasure to hear the music from the humans again, this music is truly a masterpiece."

"Well, I'm glad you think the same, I never grow tired of hearing it."

Alex walked back to his chair, ignoring the stunned looks from his friends. Yes, he took a few music lessons (especially with the harp and guitar) but he wasn't THAT good. It was the elves who did most of the job, following his mental instructions.

The festivities wore on for some time, elves approaching Eragon, wanting to meet him, and even more Saphira. They asked him a lot of things but, of course, they were even more interested in the dragoness. It frustrated him to be ignored like this but forced himself to stay cool and smile. One little scene between Blagden, the raven, and Saphira later and the queen declared she was tired, wanting to go back to her home. Saphira, Arya, Eragon and the others followed her.

The party stopped in front of a tree. A beautiful spiral staircase was craved around the trunk, leading to an habitation made of globular rooms suspended by a spray of branches.

"This is where the leader of the Riders was living when he was staying at Ellesméra. I'm giving it to you as your inheritance."

Islanzadi looked at the swordsman. "Now Alex, There'll be a room for you at Tildari Hall. It's the least we can do for an Ambassador, to give them the best rooms we have."

However, Saphira lowered her head so she could meet the queen's gaze. _«Queen Islanzadi, with all respect due, I prefer if Alex stay with us here. It was like this since the beginning of our journey. »_

"I understand, fair Saphira. I will not oppose to this."

"But I'll do." Interrupted Alex. "I may be their friend but I'm also representing Earth and it wouldn't be good if I had a favor over Orik, even for something like this. I want to have the same treatment as him, nothing more."

He turned to Saphira, winking. "Come on, go visit your new home and don't worry, I'll be here tomorrow."

It was on those words he left the two alone, following the queen and her daughter. While Eragon and his dragoness were exploring the new place where they would sleep for the next months, the others arrived in front of a porch closed by a gate. Using the Ancient Language, the queen opened the doors. Behind them was a vast garden looking like a wild and untouched meadow. Then, they walked into the lobby, leading to a suite of rooms. Islanzadi pointed two of them with her finger and showed them the apartments herself.

Alex thanked the queen for the warm welcome and bid her goodnight before closing the door and putting his backpack and weapons in a corner of his apartment. It was made of one chamber/dining room/working room and a bathroom with WC. There was a wardrobe, a bed for one person and a desk in front of the unique window of the apartment.

The adolescent washed himself quickly and went to bed, letting out a big yawn. He turned off the flameless lantern before closing his eyes. A few moment after, he was asleep.


End file.
